I Do It For You
by KAGEJASPER
Summary: Azula. Fire Nation princess, Fire Lord Ozai's secret weapon, and the Avatar's arch enemy. The world knows Azula as nothing else but these three things, but one man knows that none of them are accurate...and he knows that everything Azula does...is for him. "Know that everything I do from here on out, I do it for you."
1. I do it for you

**Author's Note**: It's been a really long time since I updated/created anything on this website, so I admit I may be a bit rusty with my writing. Anyways, I've grown very fond of Azula during my absence and just couldn't fight the urge to write this! (I swear you guys, I've dreamed about this scene _millions_ of times!) Currently, this only a one-shot until I develop the plot more thoroughly, but I really would like you guys' opinions. Should I make this mult-chapter story? Let me know in reviews!

Okay, I really hope you guys like this! =)

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender or any of its characters.

* * *

The shackles weighed heavily upon his wrists.

He raised the rusty cuffs into the moonlight beaming through a distant window. After a moment of allowing his current situation to sink in, the young man dropped his arms with a dejected sigh. Years ago, he predicted that imprisonment was a definite future consequence but experiencing it first hand was far from pleasant.

However, he didn't regret his decisions.

As long as he was able to show how much he loves her—how much he was willing to sacrifice for her—then no punishment could be too much.

Resting his head on cell bars, the male's square jaw tightened as he wondered just how much anguish his lover must be in. The image of distraught leaking through her nearly unbreakable mask as the guards dragged him away was still fresh in his mind. It hurt him to cause her so much pain but there had been no other alternative, _'what could I have done? If they knew I was involved with her, we'd both be dead. Especially if __**he**__ found out…' _

The prisoner shuddered at the mere thought of that monster. It was hard to believe he was raised in a nation ruled by that bloodthirsty tyrant—never mind that same individual also happened to be his lover's father.

Another drawn out sigh escaped him, _'it's okay though. I can't be with her anymore but…but at least she's still alive. I'll give up anything for her…'_ A warm smile stretched across his face—the action accenting the thin scar running vertically over the left corner of his lips.

"My beautiful dragonfly…"

His endearing thoughts were cut off short by a loud creak echoing down the dark hall. Looking as far past the bars as he could the young man saw three figures enter through the door—one distinctively smaller than the others. Standing to his feet, he cautiously watched the trio of silhouettes approach; only to tighten his grip on the bars once the dim light revealed their identities.

Emerald eyes hardening behind a layer of dark locks, the young man whispered sarcastically.

"What? Came to kick me while I was down, Princess?"

Not at all shaken by his stern tone, Azula smiled coldly before waving dismissively.

"I don't participate in such meager activities. Besides, peasants like you are not even worth the effort." Azula's smile widened at the sight of her prisoner's narrowing gaze. However, her expression reverted back to staid calculation as she moved closer with the fluidity of a predatory snake.

Before the two guards behind her could blink, Azula gripped a handful of the young man's hair and violently yanked him forward. The prisoner's frame met the cell bars with a profound slam but used every ounce of his will power not to wince.

His green eyes engaged the princess's own into an intensely silent gaze. Even as his front ached from the sudden attack, the young man refused to falter under her intimidating glare. The girl's eyes gave off so much fire and yet gave away nothing at the same time—Azula was truly a master of deception.

Humming in what was presumed to be intrigue, Azula released her hold of the man and stated sharply.

"You are a **prisoner** and under **my** jurisdiction, no less. I'd watch your words, peasant." Rolling his jade eyes in a pointed show of disrespect, the prisoner replied.

"Yeah. Sure. I'll keep that in mind, Your Highness." Like before, Azula's demeanor gave away nothing. Without tearing her intent gaze from the bold male, she ordered the guards casually.

"Leave us alone for a while. I think it's time I remind this peasant where his place resides…" She punctuated the threat with a jolt of twin, cobalt flames erupting from her hands—the hue eerily lighting their surroundings. After witnessing the unsettling display, the guards were more than happy to oblige.

Their retreat was haste, Azula noticed, and huffed in slight amusement, _'spineless'_.

As soon as the door closed, she slowly allowed her fire to extinguish.

By then, the young man's figure had lost all traces of defiance. Instead, his shoulders were hunched protectively—as if he was awaiting a caustic scolding from his mother. His emerald gaze was glued to the ground, suddenly finding the thick layer of grime quite interesting.

He tensed as he felt hands ghost over his own but then immediately relaxed and gripped them tenderly. Still not raising his eyes, he murmured softly.

"Look, I…I know you're upset—"

"Upset?"

Her trembling voice lashed at him like a whip.

"You think I'm just upset? What you did was foolish, Koda!" Koda tightened his hold on Azula's hands as she kicked the cell bars in frustration. Shifting to press his forehead against the princess's own, he begged lowly.

"Azula…please understand—"

"No!" Azula interjected, "I won't understand! I don't understand! Why did you lie like that? You should've known that this would happen!" Right at that moment, Koda longed to break out of his prison cell and embrace the troubled princess, but he couldn't, and it was maddening. Doing what he could to comfort her, his scarred lips met her forehead in a tender kiss before admitting.

"I knew the consequences, my beautiful dragonfly. And that's why I lied." Azula exhaled weakly as the sensation graced her skin. However, even then, she couldn't find it in herself to look him in the eyes. Koda was able feel his lover's hands quiver. His heart clenched with guilt and anger—angry at himself for causing the girl he loved so much agony.

"You know what would've happened if they found out the truth. And what about Ozai? Knowing him, he'd have us both killed in a heartbeat. I did what I had to do…" Koda only received further silence. Sighing, he lowered his voice to nearly inaudible volumes.

"Please, Azula…please tell me that you understand where I'm coming from. And j-just…" He choked back a sob as the next plea desperately rolled off his tongue.

"Just…don't forget about me." He could tell his request delivered a deep blow to Azula's heart, as the princess's grip escalated to painful levels. Koda knew Azula well—almost too well—and sadly understood the girl's habitual need to suppress her tears. No matter how intensely her emotions bubbled up, Azula always managed to swallow them back down.

Finding enough control to speak without losing composure, the firebending prodigy muttered, "I will not…" To Koda's surprise, Azula's amber eyes suddenly glowed with renewed determination—the sight burrowing deep into the man's soul.

"Because you will be freed. I'll personally see to it!" Shaking his head, Koda countered mournfully.

"That's not possible, Azula. You can't possibly find any loopholes in Fire Nation law that could save…" He didn't finish his sentence since the princess's scheming smirk caught his attention. Eyeing her skeptically, Koda enquired, "what are you planning?"

An almost challenging purr emitted from Azula—the sound causing his heart to twist and warm in the most wonderfully uncomfortable ways. If it had not been such a dire moment, the imprisoned man would've ravished her breathless. The fire princess was well aware of the effects she had on him—and she constantly took advantage of that. Gulping in hopes of clearing his head, Koda repeated.

"Azula, what's running through your head—"

"On the contrary, Koda, a loophole will not be needed."

Confusion was clear on his face.

"Huh? Azula, I don't get where you're going with this…"

Mocking Koda, Azula also rolled her eyes—which weeded a small chuckle out of the male—before elaborating, "think of it this way. Why find a way around the laws when I can just change them?"

At first, Koda's countenance was clouded with doubt but then shifted to stunning realization. A significant silence ensued between the pair as the difficulty of her proposed solution settled in—the man's gaze wordlessly asking if Azula was certain of her crazy idea.

"But," He began hesitantly, "the only way to change the law is to become…F-fire Lord."

"I am aware."

"Azula, are you sure about this? I mean, I know your brother is banished but he's technically still next in line." Fear festered in the pit of his stomach. Azula's plan was arguably reckless and flawed—two aspects that Koda was certain she detested. Conjuring up a risky option like this was extremely uncharacteristic for Azula. Attempting to chide some sense into the princess, Koda rambled.

"Azula, I know you like nobody else does a-and that could be a huge problem! People don't know that you have a beautiful heart!" Azula's gaze diverted at the mention of this but Koda continued to press on, "Ozai would just want you to be his cruel, heartless puppet! Do you know what kinds of things he'll make you do to prove you're good enough for the throne? The sick things he'll try to put in your head? I-I wouldn't be able to handle watching that monster corrupt you—"

A searing kiss stole his breath away. With the faintest trace of rationality Azula's lips allowed him to keep, he briefly wondered how she managed to angle her head so well in between the bars. Upon separating, the young man was rendered utterly speechless—his jaw clenching in an attempt to calm his racing heart. Planting a ghost of peck over his scar, the princess whispered wistfully.

"I know what I'm doing, Koda…but I need you to trust me. Know that everything I do from here on out, I do it for you." An odd mixture of defeat and love overwhelmed Koda's features as he sighed deeply.

"I can't change your mind…can I?" Azula merely shook her head in response. Tugging one of her hands forward, he traced the contours of her palm with his lips while murmuring.

"He'll say terrible things to you..."

"I know" Her voice was flat and emotionless as she accepted the distraught man's ministrations.

"He'll pressure you to do awful things…"

"I know"

A lone tear cascaded down his tan visage.

"He'll hurt you if you make the smallest mistake…"

"…I know…" His sigh warmed her palm.

"If you ever feel like you're losing your way…please come talk to me." She could feel his sad smile forming, "besides, I'm not going anywhere anytime soon." It was Azula's turn to sigh weakly. Moisture threatened to build behind her amber eyes but she found the strength she needed once Koda pressed one last kiss to her hand.

"I will…You'll see Koda, I'll become Fire Lord and get you out of here. Soon."

Unable to withstand his bittersweet touch any longer, Azula retracted from Koda and quickly paced for the exit, _'nothing will stop me from freeing you, Koda.'_

The door closed with a defining clang.

* * *

So, what did you guys think? Was Azula's OOC-ness too much for you guys? Did it make you uncomfortable? Please to hesitate to give criticism, it's what I need to improve!

Now please...

CLICK THE POST REVIEW BUTTON. -_-


	2. I think she likes me and my sweets!

**Author's Note:** Wow, guys! Thank you so much for the positive feedback! I'm truly surprised and happy to know that you guys find this concept interesting! So, in this chapter it's mostly flashback but I feel like it should help add dimension to Azula and Koda's relationship.

Also, this story will focus mostly on the 'romance' aspect of the story since my plot isn't as fully developed as I wanted it to be. I'm not saying the story will be crappy, but probably not as complex as most epic stories. I still hope you enjoy reading this though! =)

_Words_=Flashback

_**'Words'**_=thoughts in flashback

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender or any of it's characters.

* * *

_A portly man rolled his palms across a thick wad of dough; applying a majority of his weight onto the heel of his hands. Without tearing his cappuccino orbs from his work, the middle aged man called out gruffly._

_"__Ai, kid! Do me a favor, will ya?" Without missing a beat, a green-eyed teen with a wild mop of dark hair jogged into the kitchen. Popping his head over the man's shoulder like a curios child, the young male quipped casually._

_"__What do you need help with?" Shrugging in an attempt to gain personal space, the rotund baker chuckled._

_"__What did I tell ya about my elbow room?"_

_"__To invade it, obviously!" The teen instantly shot back. Ignoring his witty remark, the baker replied sarcastically._

_"__Wise guy, huh? Well how about you use that brain of ya's and get to counting the equipment. Make sure them swindlers down at the factory didn't try to cheat me again." The teen's jade eyes hardened at the mention of the equipment delivery men—for he was just as certain as the baker that those crooks were selling a portion of their necessities to make a quick profit. He once tried to report the delivery men's crimes but the Fire Nation government barely batted an eyelash at his predicament since they believed the issue to be unworthy of their concern._

_"__Well? What're ya waiting on, kid? Get on!" The man made his point by ruffling the boy's already disheveled hair before gently shoving his head. Batting away the baker's hands with the most exaggerated, comical arm swings his brain could possible conjure up, the teen then assumed a mediocre battle stance and hissed._

_"__Hey, hey! Not the hair, dad! That's my second money maker!"_

_"__I'm almost afraid to ask what ya first money maker is…" The baker drawled with a good-natured eye roll. However, just as the teen was finally about to obey his father's orders, a quiet jingle caught their attention—alerting them to the entrance of a new customer._

_Both males prepared to plaster on polite smiles but immediately froze in their spots as a group of men dressed in Fire Nation military uniforms trotted up to the counter. The father and son's shock spiked upon witnessing who stood in the center of those men—the Fire Nation princess._

_Acting clearly out of fear and respect, the baker bowed as low as he possibly could—his son mimicking the action—while stumbling over his words._

_"__Y-your highness. It's quite a surprise, I-I mean, it's a pleasure to have you—to be graced with your presence—"_

_"__It's intriguing," Azula interrupted blankly, "how easily a peasant's babbling can test my patience."_

_The baker's breath caught in his throat, finding himself unable to look Azula in the eyes._

_However, the silent teen was experiencing a far different issue. Yes, he had caught glimpses of the girl multiple times in the streets but she was always surrounded by servants and guards. The clearest detail he could ever make out was her ebony hair and cherry red lipstick. Now that he finally had the opportunity to drink in her features, he couldn't believe the marvelous sight before him, __**'my Agni, she's beautiful…'**_

_His emerald gaze greedily basked in her image._

_And Azula most certainly took notice of this._

_A sneer and disgruntled frown mingled on Azula's face but, deciding to act on her mental list of priorities, ignored the green-eyed male's blatant gawking and focused on her reason for arriving in the first place. Raising her chin pompously, the princess stated matter-of-factly._

_"__The financial office has been keeping a close eye on your bakery for the past few months, peasant, and it's come to their attention that your revenue is…quite high." If the observation had come from any other person, the baker would've taken it as a compliment. Instead, the robust man flinched at the predictable direction Azula's words were leading to. Even more, despite his deep enrapture, the baker's son also comprehended the firebending prodigy's intentions. Ignoring the baker's palpable dejection, Azula concluded._

_"__As you know, Fire Lord Ozai will be launching navy ships soon and when you have ships, you need more soldiers. And when you need more soldiers, you need more money." The princess shrugged her shoulders as if she truly didn't wish to burden the baker, although her amused grin mixed poorly with the gesture, "So I've come to personally inform you that your tax rates will increase by forty percent until further notice."_

_"__F-forty percent?" The baker sputtered in disbelief. Azula responded with a warning glare and whispered dangerously._

_"__Yes. Do you have a problem with this arrangement, peasant?" The teen gently grabbed the baker's elbow; wordlessly begging him to stop talking before he says something he'll regret. Understanding the silent plea, the large man grunted gently._

_"__No. I'm completely fine with that, Your Highness…"_

_"__Good" Azula quipped lightly—her frightening demeanor having already diminished a startling amount. The princess then locked her gaze with the teen, who in turn reciprocated the stare innocently. Tilting his head ever-so-subtly, the young male took an unintentional step out of his boundaries and enquired lightly._

_"__Why're you staring at me? Did I do something wrong?" Now it was both the baker's and guards' turns to catch their breath—for referring to Azula in such an informal manner was practically suicidal. Realizing his slip up, the green-eyed male bit his scarred lip before muttering apologetically._

_"__S-sorry about that. I just kinda say stupid things when I'm talking to a pretty girl—well, I mean, you're actually beautiful, but still…uh…wait, I'm sounding really stupid right now…" He trailed off uncomfortable at the sight of Azula's eyebrow twitching._

_He gulped, "But um, yeah. I-I apologize, Your Highness—"_

_"__What is your name…peasant?" Azula hissed behind clenched teeth. Reacting as if the venom in her voice posed as an open invite, the baker's son answered enthusiastically._

_"__You can just call me Koda, Your Highness—"_

_"__Well then, Koda. Congratulations because you have the honor of establishing the highest position on my black list." Koda choked on what was surely another stupid comment and gaped openly at the princess—her smug smile evidence of her current satisfaction at stunning the eccentric teen._

_Not allowing him a chance to recuperate, Azula turned her back to the shocked pair and uttered over her shoulder, "Remember, peasant. Forty percent." The baker hung his head in response; clearly too swamped with frustration to rush out a polite goodbye. Just as the sadistic girl was about to exit, she halted at the sight of a basket sitting upon the front the counter. It was filled to the brim with seemingly fresh, oblong shaped cakes coated in a thin layer of chocolate.  
Recognizing her split-second intrigue with the pastries, Koda leapt onto his chance of redemption._

_"__Would you like one, Your Highness? It's something I just came up with. I'm sure they'll take your taste buds on a journey!" A millisecond later, Koda cringed after realizing how immature that last statement was, __**'I'm seriously burying my own grave here…'**__ Fortunately, the young male didn't find any malice leaking from Azula's demeanor. Her full lips pursed in contemplation before submitting calmly._

_"__Fine. I might as well find out for myself if these sweets really are worth the profit you peasants make." Again, Azula had to ignore Koda as his big, emerald eyes beamed with eagerness and hope—the level of jubilance behind those orbs made the princess's gut twist._

**_'_****_His idiotic staring is making me queasy'_**_,__Azula thought with a mental eye roll._

_At least…that's what she believed the squirming sensation to be._

_Azula gingerly took a bite out of the little cake; her lips leaving behind a perfectly formed crescent. Once she slowly indulged in the taste and swallowed, a heavy, long silence reigned over the shop. Koda was sure that he'd die from suspense as he desperately gauged the tyrannical girl's blank features. Finally, as soon as the dark-haired teen was tempted to blurt out 'Do you like it?!' like a frantic manic, Azula locked her vision with his._

_She held out the pastry._

_And dropped it onto the floor…_

_…__Her cold tone chilled the room…_

_"__Disgusting" She grumbled, "It truly is a mystery how your establishment is so popular. I expected at least mediocre baking skills from you, Koda." The baker's chubby face reddened with pent up anger. However, he had enough sense to direct his scowl at the floorboards. Koda shoved his hands into his pockets and grinned widely._

_Obviously, his optimistic response rendered the princess baffled but she refused to waste any more time squabbling with commoners. Huffing in annoyance, she finally left the vicinity—her crew of Fire Nation soldiers dutifully trailing behind._

_Alone at long last, the baker turned to his bashfully smiling son at break-neck speed and guffawed, "Kid! Are ya out of ya freaking mind?!"_

_Koda blinked innocently, "what?"_

_"__Ya can't just talk to the princess like ya don't have any sense! She could've had ya executed right on the spot!" He grabbed Koda by the shoulders and shook him, "Don't scare me like that ever again, ya hear me?!"_

_A rather pleasant hum emitted from Koda as his jade eyes gained a distant sheen to them._

_"__Hey dad...you know what?" If Azula had been confused by his behavior earlier, then his father was downright lost at that moment. Round face scrunching up  
with skepticism, the baker replied cautiously._

_"__W-what?"_

_Koda's smile grew._

_"__She said my name—twice! I think she likes me and my sweets!"_

_"…"_

_A beat of silence._

_"__Kid…we're taking ya to a doctor tomorrow so he can check ya head…" Swatting away his father's hands as if they were pesky flies, Koda countered childishly._

_"__Nothing's wrong with me! You're just jealous because the ladies love me!" Before the baker could sarcastically retort, Koda quickly relocated himself in the kitchen and pulled out a pen and paper. Placing his beefy hands on his hips and cocking his head to the side, the bakery store owner sighed warily._

_"__What're ya up to now…"_

_"__Delivery, obviously." Came Koda's distracted answer._

-XXX-

_A knock resounded from Azula's door._

_The princess in question was seated at her personal desk and overlooking a daunting stack of documents—all of them ranging from trade proposals to weak threats of starting a revolt. Without ceasing her busy work, the royal teen called out sternly._

_"__Enter"_

_An unrecognizable male servant poked his head past the door—a small, poorly wrapped item within his hands._

_"__Princess, I've come to deliver a gift for you." At the mention of this, the ebony-haired princess finally allowed herself a break from work and fully faced the elder man._

_"__From who" Although it had technically been a question, the words came out more like a sharp command. Gulping at the girl's clipped tone, the average servant stuttered._

_"__A l-local bakery, Your Highness. I-I believe it's the one you visited earlier today—"_

_"__Leave it on my desk and get out." Azula ordered dismissively before promptly returning to her work; the servant's presence already pushed to the back of her mind. Initially, the man was startled and offended at her indifference but quickly bounced back with a curt bow. Placing the mysterious gift next to her paperwork, he then slipped from her room with the ease of a ghost._

_Casting a curios glance at her gift, Azula immediately noticed a small note attached to it. Once again abandoning her busy work, her blood red lips frowned thoughtfully before whispering the contents of the message in confusion._

_"__A reward for being so beautiful." Judging from fact that this had come from the bakery, Azula already had an accurate hunch as to who sent this, __**'that idiot peasant with the green eyes…'**__ Normally, she would have tossed the gift into the nearest trash bin but had second thoughts as she wondered what the strange male could have possibly delivered her. _

_He was different—in both personality and appearance. As far as Azula's vast, observant mind could tell, he was the first human being she's ever seen to possess such an eye color. The most plausible guess she could conjure up was some sort of genetic mutation or birth defect. Even more, the baker's son's build was evidently bulkier then the average adolescent man. He had the body of a manual laborer—one that lifted weights of huge proportions on a regular basis—and naturally tan skin that spoke years of exposure to the sun. Of course, it was natural for Fire Nation citizens to have a slightly tan complexion but his was just a tad shade darker._

_Overall, he was the physical embodiment of an enigma—and that definitely didn't sit right with Azula. The princess was notorious for comprehending and manipulating the human psyche, for reading an individual's mind like an open book, for being omniscient. And now, this teenage boy—this puzzling, infuriating, and unusual boy—appears before Azula's eyes and the first thing she realized, to her great chagrin, is that she couldn't clearly read his motives. By all means, the baker's son was nowhere near as complex as Azula's seemingly care-free uncle, Iroh, but there was certainly something off about him._

_And Azula wanted—needed—to know what._

_Steeling her reflexes in case it was a trap, the firebending prodigy slowly tore off the wrapping paper…_

_…__To reveal a familiar, chocolate-covered cake sitting in a tiny basket._

_By first glance, Azula's reaction was neutral. Her free hand casually withheld the mysterious male's pastry creation and examined it with a lazy gusto. All in all, the green-eyed male's present meant nothing to Azula._

_That is, until the princess experienced a lapse in restraint and alighted the wrapping paper into a ball of cold frames. Once it was reduced to a meager pile of ashes, she aggressively swiped her desk top clean and glared at the chocolate treat, __**'how?'**__ She questioned scathingly, __**'how did he know that I didn't hate it?'**__ Honestly, no matter how hard she tried, Azula couldn't deny that she actually found the little cake delicious. However, there was no way she would've admitted such a thing to a peasant—especially not to a disrespectful fool like him._

_Forcing her fiery anger to cool, the princess quickly rationalized, __**'no, there's no way he could've known. I played it off perfectly. The peasant is probably being stubborn and trying to make me reconsider my opinion…'**__ Yes, it all made perfect sense now. There was no way someone as lowly as a peasant could look pass her perfect mask—not even her father could accomplish such a feat. Relief flooding through her mind, Azula returned to her paperwork—unconsciously nibbling on the chocolate treat as she did so._

-XXX-

"Dammit!"

His beefy hand collided with the front counter. Stiffly turning to the young girl sitting before him, the baker growled, "I knew this would happen! I should've stopped him before ya little," He briefly waved in her direction, "relationship got too far!"

A girl who appeared to be in her teens and adorning simple Fire Nation clothing hung her head—unable to look the enraged father in the eyes. Her ebony hair flowed past her shoulders, reaching all the way to her hips, her full lips were colored a soft, glistening pink, and her amber eyes were hidden behind a gentle sweep of bangs. Fists tightening in her lap, the girl forced out quietly.

"He made a mistake…we both did," She raised her carefully placid gaze to the elder man, "but I can fix this—" The baker scoffed loudly.

"Fix it, she says! Okay," He yanked over a wooden chair with a profound scrape and sat in it backwards; thick arms crossed and resting atop it as he scrutinized the female heatedly, "Enlighten me, Your Highness! Explain how ya going to get me son out of prison and not get him executed!" Ire bubbled in Azula's gut; thoroughly irked by the man's blatant hostility. However, upon remembering her reason for donning such an unruly disguise, she brushed aside her annoyance and elaborated.

"There is no place in Fire Nation law that could possibly grant Koda freedom," The baker's glare hardened, "but that will not be an issue. As you know, Prince Zuko, despite his technical position of being next in line for the throne, was banished years ago. I am a much likelier choice for the crown."

An inkling of confusion pierced through the baker's disgruntled demeanor but allowed the royal teen to continue.

"Once I become Firelord, a simple rearrangement of Fire Nation law will be in order and Koda will be freed." Upon finishing, Azula's spine straightened and threw back her shoulders in a show of defiance—challenging the baker to argue against her plan. Unlike what she expected, a tired sigh left the bakery owner as he rubbed his thick brow. His gruff voice gained a twang of plea.

"And ya think that'll be enough? It's as simple as that? That's my little boy in there, those guards treating him like trash. Probably doing who knows what to him…Dear Agni…" Azula could tell that the man was doing all he could not to crumble before her into a sobbing heap. Inhaling shakily, his bloodshot eyes burned into Azula's still form and warned, "My son and I are depending on ya. If ya fail, I swear to Agni...I'll do to ya what any sane father would. And I won't care if Koda hates me for the rest of his life, ya hear me? Save my son."

"I will," She replied in a hushed tone, "I promise I will…"

* * *

Okay then, that's a wrap! Wow, I'm actually really enjoying this story! I can only hope you guys feel the same. Now, I'm not sure about my update rates since I have good ole college to stress about. It might be a while before the next chapter is up but I promise to work as fast as I can.

So, until then, please...

CLICK THE POST REVIEW BUTTON. -.-


	3. I appreciate you

**Author's Note**: Alrighty! Hope I didn't keep you guys waiting for too long, it's just that college life is a serious pain! I mean, yeah, I was just on my Easter Break but I prefer to spend my breaks with my family, not writing. But I managed to type this out last night, so I hope you enjoy!

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender or any of its characters.

* * *

**_One month later…_**

Azula had heard all about it.

She was quite aware that Zhao was a fool who aspired to unreachable visions but the fact that he attempted to kill the moon spirit was downright dangerous; not only to waterbenders but to the entire natural balance. The man clearly didn't think about the consequences of his actions and now he had paid for it—with his life.

Of course, Azula never mourned his death but she did retain enough class to properly give her condolences. Besides, she couldn't deny that Zhao contributed the most in polishing the Fire Nation soldiers' combative and navigational skills.

Unraveling her legs from a meditative position and rising from her lavish bed, the princess allowed an annoyed grimace to cross her face, _'that still does not excuse his crazed actions.'_

However, even after thinking this, the firebending prodigy couldn't resist the pang of pity that pierced her heart, _'but then again, death by drowning is one of the worst fates for a firebender…'_

Her frown deepened in distaste—why was she being so soft on Zhao? She hated the egotistical general and she still did. How he died definitely shouldn't change that. Zhao was a maniacal and twisted man, so technically Azula had every right to turn up her nose to his demise…

…Right?

But then a warm voice floated about in the princess's mind.

_'__Don't be afraid to feel sympathy, my Beautiful Dragonfly. I think everyone deserves a chance, don't you? I saw something in you…How about you try looking too?'_

Azula sighed deeply—silently berating herself for almost forgetting Koda's words. For Agni's sake, the imprisoned man had just talked to her about this last night while gratefully accepting a tray of food that the princess had snuck in. She had two promises to keep—to rescue Koda from life imprisonment and resist Ozai's deceitful influence.

It was agonizing to acknowledge but Azula knew that Koda's imprisonment was taking a toll on him. Physically, the scarred man maintained a decent weight thanks to the princess's assistance but, when it came to his emotional health, Azula was deeply concerned.

Every time she returned to visit, the luster in his deep emerald eyes withered more and more. He always valiantly attempted to plaster on a cheeky smile and crack witty remarks but his dying will was evident. He was not raised with the steel resolve of a Fire Nation royal. He was raised with the empathy, commodity and carefreeness of a baker's son—such a disposition couldn't possibly help Koda persevere through constant cruelty and loneliness. The mental picture of Koda's hopeless form gazing at the door, silently begging for a miraculous release from this endless torture, tore ruthlessly at Azula's heart.

Fists trembling at her sides and exuding thin wisps of hot blue, Azula inhaled forcefully and chanted beneath her breath, "keep calm…keep calm…keep calm—"

A curt knock from her door cut her mantra short. Immediately reaffirming her cold, calculating persona, the princess's body lost all traces of frustration before calling out evenly.

"Who is it?"

"Hu-Ni, Your Highness," Azula quickly recognized his voice, as he was a servant specifically reserved for her. Hu-Ni was obviously struggling to retain a polite and stable tone while shouting through the door. However, he had no choice but to endure the awkwardness of it all and finished, "Fire Lord Ozai has requested your immediate presence in his throne room."

If her cold disposition hadn't been solidified into place before, it surely was now. Her features smoothed out and hardened into a callous mask before replying.

"Fine. Now leave." No argument followed. Azula allowed a smug grin to tug at her full lips when the steps of his hasty retreat reached her ears. No matter how much good Koda apparently saw in her, she still reveled in her flawless intimidation skills. Stealing a quick glance in the mirror to assure that her confident features were still intact, Azula left her room.

-XXX-

As soon as she was able to feel beads of sweat pop up on the back of her neck, Azula halted where she stood and bowed until her forehead kissed the floor. Rising just enough to peer up at her father through her lashes, she announced respectfully.

"You have requested me, father?"

A swarm of angry flames roared about Ozai's seated frame—the light so intense that it reduced his image to a daunting silhouette. His gold crown gleamed sharply as his chin tilted up in an insignificant gesture of acknowledgment.

"Azula," his gravelly voice slithered into Azula's gut, "I have been keeping a close eye on you and your duties. From what I can see, you work efficiently and never fail at accomplishing your missions."

Azula had to restrain herself from scoffing in disgust; all too aware that his comments were nothing more than assessments rather than genuine compliments. _'Missions? That's what you call chores these days?'_ She hissed in disdain. The so-called missions the prodigy had been carrying out for the past month were mundane and pointless—even more so than the duties she satisfied before presenting her interest of becoming Fire Lord.

A thoughtful, almost inaudible hum emitted from Ozai before he admonished casually.

"In fact, I believe you're ready to go out into the field…" That had undoubtedly caught Azula's attention. She craned her neck just the tiniest bit and her eyes widened a fraction of a centimeter.

"As you have heard, Zhao, that foolish weakling, died during the siege of the Northern Water Tribe." Azula couldn't see it but she was sure that a frown had sprouted on Ozai's face. "He failed both the siege and his own nation. If I had cared enough, I would've personally saw to it that his funeral was as short and unceremonious as possible. A crate in a muddy hole—that would've been a grave he deserved…"

Azula remained silent, honestly unsure how to respond without coming off as suspicious. Ozai was a truly cruel man and it disturbed Azula at the possibility of becoming his puppet. She wouldn't allow such a nightmare to happen—she refused.

Suddenly detached from his merciless reverie, Ozai offered a proposition.

"But, I digress. Since Zhao was so useless, I won't make the same mistake with you. I'm sure you've heard the rumor that the Avatar has returned." Without missing a beat, Azula answered in an unwavering tone.

"Of course. The peasants are literally panicking in the streets like uncivilized frog monkeys about it." After a beat of a second, Azula inwardly cringed. She—cold, stiff princess of the Fire Nation—had used humor referring to frog monkeys, the most unattractive amphi-mammal on the face of the planet.

Koda was most definitely rubbing off on her.

Fortunately, Ozai seemed to think nothing of it and continued.

"Although I doubt it to be true, you will leave tomorrow afternoon. I'll lend you a ship and some of our best soldiers. Find the Avatar and when you do…kill him."

Azula had tuned him out as soon as he said that she'd be leaving tomorrow afternoon, _'leaving…but…w-what about Koda…'_ The inside of her mouth felt like dry cotton and gulped roughly. Painfully shoving her anxiety into the back of her mind, Azula nodded once in affirmative.

"As you wish, father." For added effect, she grinned sinisterly—sickened inside at how convincing it must have looked. When Ozai's flames died out of existence—a sign of his dismissal—she swiftly rose to her feet and paced out of the throne room.

As she did, her mind raced desperately for a way to solve this new issue.

-XXX-

"Ah, there she is." Koda drawled cheekily as Azula appeared before the prison bars. His dirty, seated form gazed up at his rigid lover with a lazy grin and a tilted head. His full head of matted hair was disheveled but in a strangely endearing fashion. If it had not been for the dullness invading Koda's eyes, Azula would've begrudgingly thought that he looked pitifully adorable.

Azula stiffly kneeled and leveled her troubled stare with Koda's. Gulping silently, the firebending prodigy attempted to talk in the most even voice she could muster.

"Koda, I…Something has occurred."

In an instant, Koda's carefree mask crumbled into a million pieces.

He quickly shuffled closer and reached as far pass the bars as he could—the chains preventing him from placing a single finger upon Azula. He licked his chapped lips before rushing out in a fearful whisper.

"What did he do to you? What did he do? Did he hurt you?"

"No, Koda. This has nothing to do with Ozai." Azula reassured calmly but, contrary to her undisturbed demeanor, refused to reach out to Koda and instead rested her fists in her lap. Noticing this, Koda automatically knew that something was troubling Azula. The princess never retreated from or rejected any physical contact with Koda unless she was distressed. Preparing himself for the worse, the baker's son asked cautiously.

"Azula…what is it? What happened?"

An undetectable, shuddering sigh wracked her body and she gulped once more.

"I've been given a new mission by Ozai…which will require me to leave. For how long, I'm not sure…but I promise to return as soon as possible!" She interjected in what Koda was certain was anxiety. His forehead resting on a rusty bar, a sad, watery smile appeared on his face.

"Don't you worry about me, my Beautiful Dragonfly—"

"Don't be an idiot." She hissed quietly, "Of course I'm going to worry. Don't just go around asking for the impossible."

Koda appeared unfazed.

"I'm sorry, that was kinda stupid of me, huh?" Mirth bubbled in his chest when the princess grumbled an agreement, "But still, Azula, if there's nothing you can do then that's okay..."

"Don't you get it?" She retorted in frustration, "Maybe there is something I can still do! Perhaps I could…could…sneak you onto my ship as a soldier or—…" Azula stopped herself short after realizing how illogical her idea was. Disguising himself as a soldier would be disastrous. First of all, Koda was not a firebender and it would only be a matter of time before the rest of the crew would become suspicious. Secondly, the prison would shortly notice his disappearance and hunt him down—and with a viscous gusto since he was Azula's personal prisoner. Finally, placing Koda in an even more stressful situation than the one he's in now would be unfair to him. Azula's responsibility was to return him to the bakery; back to a peaceful life.

"Oh, look!" Koda pointed at Azula with painfully staged excitement, "You're making the 'that moment when the math teacher just messed up an equation on the board' face!" Immense depression filled Azula's heart at Koda's struggle to regain his usual energetic personality. Gnashing her teeth in self-loathe for being unable to come up with a plan, the Fire Nation princess admitted.

"Fine, so I don't know what to do _yet_ but I will before I leave. I'm not leaving you alone under the care of those two nitwits." She glanced in the direction of the door, referring to the guards waiting outside. Almost as if forgetting that a confident statement needed to be matched with a confident tone, Koda mumbled tiredly.

"Don't worry about those clowns. They won't do anything to me…I'll kick their asses before they even think about it…"

"I'm sure you would." Azula replied flatly. She stood and Koda promptly followed suit, disappointment at the realization that she was about to leave evident in his emerald eyes.

"Keep your eyes and ears open. I will be coming back for you tonight—"

"Azula, I can't be a soldier on your ship—"

"I know that!" Azula snapped back. Koda clamped his mouth shut; silently allowing his lover to regain her bearings before she continued in a much calmer tone.

"Look…I know it's a bad idea, I admit to that. But I will come up with something else and get you out of here tonight. I…I can't allow you out of my sight, Koda." Taking a moment to register the plea lurking behind her words, Koda finally submitted with a heavy sigh.

"Alright, Azula. I know you, so I'm sure you'll come up with a great plan. Eyes and ears open, right?" He cracked another haughty grin while pointing to his ear. The prodigy's amber eyes rolled.

"Good to know you actually do listen to every word I say…"

"How can't I? I love hearing your voice."

This time the princess's eyebrow arched. She folded her arms challengingly and cocked out her left hip.

"Oh really?"

"Really, really with a Koda on top."

"Sounds unappetizing…"

"Hey, I'm actually quite delicious! I'm sure you would agree! Remember that time behind the garden shed—mmph!"

Azula slapped a hand over Koda's mouth; effectively halting the telling of his their not-so-pure adventures. Her expression was as hard and blank as steel, but the pink glow to her cheeks clearly gave her away.

"In Agni's_ name_, do _not_ say another word, Koda…"

He nodded, "Yeph mum"

Releasing him, Azula took a hesitant step back before finally turning. However, before she could get too far, she ceased at the sound of Koda's suddenly timid voice.

"H-hey uh, before you go…" Without turning, Azula pushed quietly.

"Yes?"

"…I love you."

Dead silence.

"…"

"…"

"…I appreciate you as well."

Before Koda could reply, Azula disappeared.

* * *

**Author's Note**: Awwww, Azula didn't say I love you back! *sad face* ...Well, guys, I didn't say their relationship was fully perfect, now did I? Is it strong? Most definitely. Is it perfect? Not so much...Anyways, sorry nothing much happens in this chapter but I'll try my best to pick it up a bit in the next chapter. And to let you know ahead of time, there will be time skips. I'm ashamed to admit that my knowledge of the exact Avatar plot line is very rusty, so I'm trying to work with what I do remember. Hopefully you guys can bare with me on that.

So, until then, please...

CLICK THE POST REVIEW BUTTON -.-


	4. I am yours to use

**Author's Note:** Hello, hello! Sorry I took so long to post up the next chapter! I was just struggling with one of the scenes in here but everything's all good now!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender or any of its characters

Now then, I hope you enjoy! :D

* * *

Azula gnashed her teeth as she restlessly paced her room. The tail of her exquisite night robe dragged across the crimson carpet; the sound only helping to further agitate the princess.

But she couldn't stop—not now.

"Why?" She seethed beneath her breath, "Why can't I come up with anything?!" In one swift motion, Azula spun on her heels with her hand alighted in hot cobalt; intent on angrily setting something on fire—

Then she halted…

Her fired died out of existence. She slowly treaded backwards until the back of her knees met the mattress and unceremoniously plopped onto it. An expression of soft epiphany and the smallest traces of annoyance dominated her features. Remaining in this state for a solid minute, Azula then pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed.

"Honestly…I can't believe I did not realize it sooner." It was true. The firebending prodigy almost felt embarrassed; as the answer to her predicament was sitting under her nose the entire time. Just when she was about to set her belongings on fire, the expensive jewelry decorating her dresser instantly reminded her of something.

She was Azula. She was the Fire Nation princess. She was known to be cruel and the exact female replica of Ozai.

In the midst of her worries about Koda, Azula had completely forgotten about her public persona—who of which never gave an Agni's _damn_ about other people's opinions. Dropping her hand from her face, her signature cocky smirk appeared.

"It's final then." By morning, Koda would finally get a change in scenery.

-XXX-

After Azula left, Koda just stared at the door before him; his hands tightly wringing the bars.

He should've known better than to expect Azula to say she loved him back but, in his opinion, it never hurt to try. However, with the response his lover gave, Koda had to admit that the outcome burned his heart a bit, _'hah, burned my heart. No pun intended…'_ He noted sarcastically. That was another issue that nagged at the man; his voice—in both thought and speech—was starting to sound duller and duller. He knew it bothered Azula whenever he tried to act like his usual self because it was only a bitter reminder of what the prison sentence was doing to him.

But it was all Koda had.

It seemed pitiful but, with the situation that he was in, the green-eyed male depended on Azula's presence and his sense of humor. He couldn't rely on the sound of his father's warm, accented voice, he couldn't rely on the sweet smell of baking bread and he couldn't rely on the feel of the sun gently beaming down on his tan skin.

Laughter and Azula were all he had now…

…But his hold on laughter was weakening—quickly.

Koda cracked his eyes open when a whining creak emitted from the door. He stood as tall as possible when the two guards entered; both of them smiling smugly while one held a tray of food. Disgust crossed the prisoner's face as he eyeballed the slop.

"Either I've been locked up longer than I expected…or the cooks here need to be fired—pronto." The guard holding the tray scoffed in reply—his thick mustache twitching from the action—before violently shoving it through a bottom slot. Koda jumped back to avoid getting splattered by the offending mush and glared at his chuckling tormentors.

"Hey! These pants might be last season but they're still my favorite!" Their cackling stopped; abruptly becoming replaced with disdain.

"You sure have a big mouth, kid." The mustached guard grumbled. With a blank expression, Koda's tongue languidly poked from between his scarred lips.

"You're just jealous. You know what they say about guys with big mouths, don't you?"

More scoffs.

"You're probably the size of a twelve year old, kid." To the guards' confusion, Koda hummed while pressing his face to the bars and narrowing his eyes childishly.

"Oh? You would know what a little boy's thing-a-ling looks like wouldn't you? And get your heads out of the gutter! I was talking about having a big heart!" The guards blinked as they slowly registered what they just heard. A feeling a triumph swelled in Koda's heart. He didn't even allow the soldiers enough time to recover and mocked.

"Mr. Guard Man is a pedophile~!" Snapping out of his reverie with an enraged snarl, the mustached guard kicked the bars with a roar.

"Shut the fuck up, you little shit! I swear to Agni if you weren't the princess's personal prisoner, I'd—"

"You'd what? Look at my thing-a-ling? You sick, sick, little man—"

"That's it!" The second guard finally spoke up; his face flushed with fiery ire. Just the smallest speck of dread pierced Koda's heart when he pulled out a ring of keys. The scarred male stepped back cautiously as the two guards entered his cell and loomed forward. Still holding desperately onto his personality, Koda held up his hands passively.

"Whoa, whoa, hold on! There are plenty of little boys out there who would find your grotesque faces quite attractive! Yeah, it's a crime but there's a freak out there for every freak too—"

The second guard delivered a punch to his jaw.

Koda stumbled back in surprise and rubbed his chin; shifting it around in hopes that nothing was broken. He stared at the guards, who stared right back. The guard inconspicuously shook his hand, a bit shocked that the blow hurt his knuckles and that it didn't knock Koda to the ground, _'what the hell is this kid  
made of?'_

Koda nodded.

"Alright then"

And tackled the guard.

The impact had actually hurt a bit, once again surprising the guard. However, he recovered much quicker this time and easily switched their positions; giving himself the top advantage and legs effectively secured to prevent Koda from escaping. With a sneer, the guard brought down a heavy punch to Koda's face. At first, Koda was somewhat successful in protecting himself but dropped his guard on the fourth punch. A series of blows made contact, each hit resounding with a solid, sickening bash. Twenty punches in, the guard finally halted for a moment to analyze the prisoner's bloodied face; completely certain that he was unconscious now—

The guard's world tilted backwards...

A pair of rough hands gripped large handfuls of his uniform…

…And then he was rising.

He blinked, unable to understand what was happening or why the mustached guard's upside-down face had a shocked expression. Titling his head forward, he caught a clear view of Koda's bloody smile.

"Faking, obviously."

"Wha—"

Koda slammed him to the stony surface.

A white light exploded behind his vision and searing pain coursed all the way from the bottom of his spine to the back of his skull. Among that moment of agony, he couldn't even tell if the scream came from his own mouth.

"Augh!"

The mustached guard gaped at the sight of his writhing partner before a light chuckle snapped him out of haze.

"What's wrong Mr. Pedo-Guard? Cat got your tongue?" Red-stained teeth flashed at the guard in the form of a lop-sided smile.

"Son of a bitch!" The mustached guard alighted his arms with fire, no longer caring whether he would upset Azula by burning her special prisoner. Koda's smile faltered.

"Oh shit—"

He ducked, just barely avoiding the guard's fiery swing. The guard continuously swiped at the prisoner, each attack becoming more savage than the last. His throat, his chest, his abdomen, his eyes—no part of Koda's body was safe. By luck alone, the green-eyed male managed to dodge most of the swipes but then howled in agony as the guard's hot nails tore across his face.

"Ahh! G-gah!" Koda back peddled while cradling his eyes. Slowly lowering his hands, he blinked rapidly as blood seeped from half-cauterized gashes adorning his brow and cheek. Thin wisps of smoke rose from the peasant's injuries. Hissing in pain, Koda sneered furiously at the grinning soldier, who cackled confidently.

"You're outclassed and outmatched, kid."

"That was a cheap shot!" Before the guard had a chance to throw another taunt, Koda surprised him with a heavy downward fist across the top of his skull. Even with a helmet on, the guard could've sworn a momentary earthquake had occurred. He stumbled and swayed on his feet, struggling to regain his bearings after the bone-rattling hit. Noticing his opportunity, Koda slowly reeled back his right fist, threw his shoulder into the punch, and made solid contact with the center of the guard's mustached countenance.

A crack could be heard.

A triumphant smile crept across Koda's face as the guard fell flat on his back with a crimson substance gushing from his nose. However, unknown to Koda, a smirking presence behind him formed a sizeable ball of fire and threw it at his back.

"Auuuugh!" A yell of raw agony ripped from Koda's throat as his back arched, every nerve-ending in his spine awakened in a dance of pain and the smell of his smoldered skin invaded his nostrils. He fell to his knees, a dazed, shocked and defeated expression on his face. A hand gripped his shoulder and yanked, causing the prisoner to land painfully on his tender back. The guard from before loomed over Koda, taking time to gain an eyeful of the man's miserable form. He then dropped to his knees, grabbed Koda by the collar and summoned a layer of inferno to encase his fist.

A burning punch to Koda's face.

"Where did that confidence go, you little shit?!"

A second punch.

"Come on! Crack a joke, funny guy! Make me laugh!"

A third punch.

Koda groaned—hovering on the edge of unconsciousness.

"You wanna know how to make me laugh?! You wanna see what would be _really_ funny?!" A sinister grin stretched across the guard's face. A steel-like grip overtook Koda's throat and he gagged in response; staring at the guard with wide, questioning eyes. The tormentor brought his flame dangerously close to Koda's head; allowing a few fibers of his dark hair to sizzle.

Koda began to weakly struggle.

"How about we give you a haircut, hm?"

Koda's struggles grew into panicked squirming.

"Shh" The guard cooed, "Calm down and hold still. If you don't, you might get burned…"

He received protesting grunts from Koda. Ignoring the terrified sounds, the soldier skimmed his hot palm across the peasant's hair, making sure to catch each and every strand on fire. The flames kindled and melded together, covering the entire left-half of Koda's dark tresses. The guard chuckled at the prisoner's visible distress before violently chucking him aside; smiling even more as Koda's back took the brunt of the blow. The guard ignored Koda's frantic patting down of his head and supported his unconscious partner on his shoulders. He exited the cell, locked the bars and slammed the door shut—a satisfied laugh bubbling in his gut as he did so.

"That'll teach the little fucker to show some respect…"

-XXX-

Pain

Right at that moment, all that Koda could hear, feel, taste, smell and see was true, genuine pain. He could feel the blisters forming on his back, face and scalp, and the areas throbbed in protest with each movement of his crawling. Reaching a stony wall, the baking apprentice sat up and leaned against his shoulder.

His world was tilting side-to-side, showing no signs of leveling out anytime soon.

A strong wave of agony suddenly attacked his body but he was unable to utter a single curse. He gritted his teeth before releasing a guttural moan of despair. It was not much longer until he finally succumbed to his shame and allowed tears to trail down his scabbed face.

_'__Azula…Dad…I'm so sorry. I-I really thought I could protect myself, but…but…'_

His body shook…

…Another yell of pure agony…

-XXX-

**_The Next Morning…_**

Ozai sat on his veranda overseeing the palace training grounds.

He closely scrutinized his daughter's lithe, flipping form as she effortlessly took out one soldier after another. When it was down to just one guard, the trembling man bowed in a show of giving up before quickly retreating to his other duties. If it was not for the fact that Azula was riding on an adrenaline high, she would've punished the guard for leaving without her permission. Instead, the princess smirked in satisfaction as she took in the unconscious bodies surrounding her.

The Fire Lord would've grinned in pride at the sight of his daughter's viscous victory, but their previous conversation had been clouding his mind. He ran the scene through his thoughts once again, still struggling to uncover Azula's true motive behind her request.

_-XXX-_

_Azula and Ozai seated themselves at the dinner table and sat rigidly as servants placed a wide expanse of food before them. Per usual, a taster quickly nibbled at each dish; checking to see if any of it was poisoned. Satisfied that the taster had not immediately seized up and died—the taster was definitely the most relieved of them all—Ozai dismissed the servants._

_Father and daughter engaged in awkward, silent eating; the sound of forks clanging against plates serving as the only sound to pierce the atmosphere. Azula was sure that she was only one feeling uncomfortable though, as she was planning to unveil her questionable request to Ozai soon. However, the firebending prodigy knew she had to wait for just the right moment. If she asked too early or too late, Ozai would find a reason to be suspicious._

_Witnessing Ozai finish his main dish, Azula swallowed her mouthful of food and moved in on her chance._

_"__Father, I have a request."_

_Ozai cocked an eyebow._

_"__And what, do tell, may that be?"_

_Azula could've sworn her heart was about to gallop out of her chest._

_"__As you know, I am getting older and with that comes a few…natural changes." As impossible as it was, indifferent curiosity had dominated Ozai's angular features._

_"__Natural…changes?"_

_Azula feigned casualness as she twirled her fork._

_"__Yes, natural changes. You know…increased height, filling out a few curves...a few sexual urges…"_

_Silence as still as death overcame the table…_

_"…"_

_"…"_

_Ozai wiped his hands with a nearby handkerchief and cleared his throat._

_"__I see…that is true. If it's a harem that you're asking for, then I can make that happen—"_

_"__I just want one." Ozai's vision snapped up. Realizing her mistake, Azula quickly added, "For now anyways. I wish to build it up over time."_

_"__If that is the case," For the first time in Azula's life, she witnessed confusion briefly flitter through Ozai's golden eyes, "Then do you have a preference in mind? Or will any male satisfy your needs?"_

_Azula couldn't believe it—it couldn't be this easy. Is seemed as if whenever she mentioned sexuality and her name in the same sentence, the rug was yanked out from beneath Ozai's feet. Taking advantage of his surprise, Azula answered confidently._

_"__I want that peasant that was imprisoned about a month ago. He's turned out to be quite entertaining to torment and I feel that I would miss doing it while out at sea. Besides…" Unlike usual, no form of acting was needed as a subtle look of lust twinkled in her amber eyes, "He does have…the body that meets to my standards."_

_If it was not for years of constant callousness, Ozai would've choked on air. Retaining his calm demeanor, the ruler hummed in thought before replying evenly._

_"__I suppose he could be your sex slave…but __**nothing more**__, correct?" He directed Azula a knowing, chilling look; as this topic concerning Koda had already been conversed over before—minus the sex slave part, of course. Ignoring the goosebumps rising on her skin, Azula simply nodded._

_"__Of course, I just enjoy listening to the fool beg and moan for mercy. I'll just be throwing a little stress relief in the mix."_

_Another hum from Ozai._

_"__I see…then I have no issue with this. Just do not lose sight of your real objective, understand? Do __**not**__ let that boy distract you." _

_Azula smiled wickedly._

_"__Of course not, Father…"_

_-XXX-_

Ozai continued to curiously watch his daughter, _'hmmm…I suppose this day would come sooner or later. At least she's gain an appreciation for harems like I have.'_ A dark leer was etched onto his face.

-XXX-

When the door opened, Koda instantly flinched away and closed his eyes—preparing himself for another beating from the guards. However, when only a gasp reached his ears, the injured prison peeked with one eye.

"W-what…happened to you?"

Azula stood before the cell adorning her battle suit. In her hand was a bag, which seemed to contain a change of clothes. The Fire Nation princess had on a blank expression but Koda was well aware of the dangerous fury lurking beneath it. Cringing from the movement, Koda turned to fully face Azula and answered in a weak murmur.

"You missed it, My Beautiful Dragonfly…" He cracked a pained smile; effectively drawing attention to the blood caked onto his face, "I-it was the fight of the century." Ignoring the man's joke, Azula quickly unlocked the bars, entered the cell, and kneeled before Koda. Her hands trembled ever so slightly as they hovered over his injuries; the level of damage almost too much for her to comprehend. Suddenly, her gaze snapped up and was met with the worst wound of them all.

The left side of his cranium was completely bare of midnight locks. In its place was a large, gruesome, bright red burn. Small blisters decorated it in random patches. Judging by the level of severity, Azula had a hunch that this would leave behind a huge scar. Her full lips twitched; a snarl begging to make itself known.

"Did the guards do this…?" She whispered. Koda's shame returning with a vengeance, he lowered his head and muttered meekly.

"Yeah…but it's not that bad—"

"Bullshit!" She spat. Azula rose to her feet and tossed the bag next to Koda, "Put those on. They're clean and freshly sewn. I'll be right back to take you to a medic." The message behind Azula's tone didn't click in the prisoner's mind until he stopped examining the clothes and rushed out.

"Azula, don't kill them!"

Azula stopped at the door and exhaled blue flames. Her fists clenched until her knuckles turned white.

"And why shouldn't I—"

"Because you're not Ozai."

"Do you _see_ yourself right now?!"

"Do you see yourself?!" He shot back, "You're about to kill, Azula! Take a life! That's not you! Please…just calm down. Don't do anything you'll regret, okay?" Azula looked at Koda in disbelief. Even after enduring such mind-numbing pain and torture, he still wanted to spare the guards' lives. She sighed and rested her head on the door's metal surface; allowing the coolness to assuage her righteous fury. A few moments later, Azula reaffirmed her much calmer gaze with Koda's.

"Fine" She grumbled, "I won't kill them but they _will_ pay. So just wait a moment." Koda nodded anxiously, still not certain if Azula would follow through with her promise. When the door violently slammed shut, Koda already knew that Azula would beat those guards until they were on the brink of death—in a technical way, the princess would be keeping her promise. Koda carefully shook his head, 'that girl is always finding some kinda loophole.'

Although it's been at least eight hours since he received the burns, Koda still struggled to put on his clothes. He hissed in pain each time the soft cotton scraped across his enflamed flesh but, eventually, he managed to get dressed. Now came the difficult task of standing up—

Horrified screams travelled from outside the door.

Koda blinked curiously.

Whimpers, the rushing sound of fire, pleas.

He tilted his head in that puppy-like fashion of his.

Two high-pitched, agonized wails that Koda instantly recognized. He cringed and hissed in sympathy.

"Oh man…right in the ding-a-lings!" He then bounced back with a wide, loving smile as Azula returned; dusting off her hands with a victorious smirk, _'that's my girl!'_ Noticing her lover's goofy smile, the princess enquired off-handedly.

"What are you making that dopey face for?"

"No reason. Just remembering how awesome you are." Azula scoffed and rolled her amber eyes.

"You never should have forgotten in the first place, Romeo." She held out a hand, "I'm guessing you can't stand on your own." Koda gratefully took her hand.

"You guessed right."

A series of whining from Koda, annoyed threats from Azula, and scrambling around later, the scarred man was finally on his feet. As they entered the prison halls, Koda greedily took in his surroundings, as he was beyond happy to have a change of view. Guilt momentarily bubbled in Azula's gut as she witnessed it but shoved it back down in order to preserve her superior disposition. As the pair passed the guards, it took all of Koda's self-control not to explode into a fit of laughter and point childishly.

The guards were stripped down to their underwear. One of guard's once glorious mustache had been completely singed off while the other's full head of hair no longer existed. They were gagged by their tunics and could only muffle out pathetic whimpers past the cloth. They were huddled up in the corner, rocking back-and-forth in the fetal position with terrified looks in their eyes—seeming as if they saw a ghost, a demon, and the Grim Reaper wrapped into one.

So, basically, they were burdened to witness Azula's wrath.

"I love you so much right now!" Koda whisper-yelled. Azula smirked haughtily.

"Well, if that's the case, then you'll love me even more once I tell you the news."

"What's that?"

"You're coming onto my ship…as my personal sex slave." Koda inhaled a dramatically deep gasp as excitement gleamed in his juvenile eyes.

"I am _so_ sorry I ever doubted your big, beautiful brain."

"Apology accepted, I suppose." Raising his nose as far as his injuries would allow him to, the peasant attempted to imitate snobbish royal.

"Well, my Lady, from here on out, I am yours to use as you wish."

"Last time I checked, a sex slave is not royalty." Koda barked most the genuine laugh he had ever produced since his prison sentence. The sound was so greatly missed and sweet to the ear, that Azula couldn't find it in her suppress a tiny smile.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Okay, that's all for now! And I know what you're wondering, when are the other characters supposed to come in, KAGEJASPER? Next chapter. So just be patient, pwease~?

But until then, please leave a comment and...

CLICK THE POST REVIEW BUTTON -.-


	5. I don't feel better

**Author's Note:** Hey guys! Sorry it took a while to update but I had to get a few things organized in my head. Can't say I'm 100% there but I definitely have a clearer idea of where this story is going than before, so that's progress!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender or any of its characters.

By the way, I hope you don't mind but I twisted a few things around. Stuff will definitely be different than how the canon series went, so be prepared for that. Well, I hope you guys enjoy! =D

* * *

"You're doing great, Aang." Katara commented with an encouraging smile. Aang wanted to do more than just beam in response but knew that his focus had to be upheld. He adjusted his stance a bit more, allowing the lake water to wade further up his calves. The young monk exhaled calmly before waving his arms in slow, fluid arcs and couldn't help but laugh happily when octopus-like tendrils of water emerged from the surface.

"There you go, just like that!" Again, Aang didn't reply to Katara's compliment with words, just more victorious laughing. The airbender continued to gracefully maneuver his arms, utterly fascinated by the almost daunting yet majestic liquid tentacles mimicking his movements. At first, Aang truly had his doubts about mastering the four elements in such a limited amount of time but, as the days went by, his confidence grew just the tiniest bit—when it concerned waterbending anyways.

Sokka, who was calmly floating about in the lake, instantly perked up when a chorus of footsteps caught his attention. Nearly drowning himself in the process, he jerked to his feet and automatically assumed a fighting stance—which wasn't much considering he didn't have his boomerang. Unless a simple leotard proved to be more lethal than it seemed, Sokka had the clear disadvantage.

"Halt, who goes there?!" He yelled in his best intimidation voice. Drawn by Sokka's yell, Katara and Aang turned to curiously observe the newcomers.

"Hello there!" A mellow voice greeted pleasantly. The voice belonged to a man dressed in a black and yellow robe with his right shoulder exposed. A tall, bizarre hat adorned his head, a ringlet of flowers hung around his neck and within his arms was some sort of stringed instrument. Two more men and two women stood behind him, each of them dressed in equally as outlandish and nature-friendly outfits. They also had their own individual instrument.

Sokka deflated upon realizing the lack of danger and deadpanned at the unwelcome guests.

"Who are you and state your business here!" He was on the defensive once again, although his attitude was much less intense than before. Blinking at the display, the assumed leader of the group placed a hand on his chest.

"I'm Chong and we're traveling nomads." Aang lit up once he heard this and finally approached the nomads, Katara following suit.

"You're nomads? That's great, I'm a nomad too!"

"Then welcome to the family, brother!" However, Chong halted upon seeing the blue tattoos on Aang's body. Realizing the reason behind Chong's pause, the Avatar shifted uncomfortably before taking a chance and informing.

"Don't be alarmed by these markings. You see…I'm actually—"

"The Avatar, right?" Chong interrupted with an unknown twinkle in his eyes. Aang and the watertribe siblings gawked at the grinning nomad. Being the first to recuperate, Aang took a step forward and enquired with wide eyes.

"H-how did you know?"

Chong shrugged.

"Eh, lucky guess?" Confusion dominated Chong's features, which in turn confused the Gaang even more. This man was not normal—at all. Chong rubbed his chin while looking up, humming in deep thought. Not a moment later, a satisfied grin stretched across his scruffy face as he pointed at Aang and announced.

"As initiation into our group, you will now be known as Master Arrowhead!" The band of nomads behind suddenly commenced into a musical number, Chong singing Master Arrowhead repeatedly in different inflections. However, by the third repeat, Sokka barged in with an annoyed exclamation.

"No, no, no! Stop it! Stop it now!" The nomads immediately complied. Not halting at all in his rant, Sokka then pointed in the direction that he believed Omashu to be located, although it was more than likely the opposite direction. "We don't have time for this okay? We need to get to Omashu as soon as possible to take care of some serious business—youch!" Katara, fed up with her brother's blatant disrespect, yanked him down to her level by his ear and seethed.

"Sokka, stop being so rude to them! They're very nice people!" After being released, Sokka grumbled beneath his breath and massaged his aching ear; shooting his sister dirty looks all the while.

Chong strummed random notes on his instrument, apparently unfazed by the siblings' interaction. Whatever was lurking beneath his tranquil smile, it sent strangely warm tremors down Aang's spine. It slightly frustrated the airbender since he had no idea why.

"You said you're heading to Omashu?" Chong asked lightly. Aang nodded.

"Yeah, and we have to get there as soon as possible."

"There's a shortcut to get there, you know."

Now Chong snagged the trio's full attention.

"A shortcut?" Sokka replied suspiciously.

"Yep" Chong pointed at the mountains, "There's a passageway that runs underneath the mountains called the Secret Love Tunnel. It'll lead you straight to Omashu." Before Aang could even ponder the offer, Sokka grabbed a hold of him and Katara and dragged them towards Appa.

"No thanks. We're sticking to the plan and just gonna fly over. So if you'll excuse us." Like before, Chong and the rest of the nomads didn't seem to be bothered and simply waved farewell, wishing the Gaang good luck.

-XXX-

The nomads, who were resting peacefully against a large log, watched as Appa and the trio passed by—covered in soot and sporting exhausted looks in their eyes. Without missing a beat, Sokka proclaimed dully.

"Secret Love Cave—let's go."

Again, that same mysterious look appeared but, this time, it glittered in all of the travelling nomads' pupils.

Katara, Aang and Sokka failed to notice.

-XXX-

Sokka had one thought on his mind as he stood before the huge, dark, gaping entrance of the Secret Love Tunnel, _'this is a bad idea…'_

He decided to voice his thoughts.

"This is a bad idea."

"It's either this or get fried to a crisp." Katara responded, referring to their terrifying experience with Fire Nation defenses while attempting to fly over the mountain range. Sokka groaned, loathing at the fact that her sister had a point.

"Don't worry Sokka, I'm sure we'll be fine." Aang reassured. As soon as the group advanced inside a few feet, they stopped when Chong warned in a spooked tone.

"You should know about the curse though, Master Arrowhead." Anxiety tugged at the Gaang's guts.

"Curse?" Aang gulped. Chong nodded and elaborated gravely.

"It is said that only people who put their trust in love can navigate out of the cave. If they don't…they could be lost in here…forever." Just as Sokka was about to explode at the man and demand why he didn't reveal this earlier, rumbling reached their ears. Turning around, the Gaang paled as Fire Nation tundra tanks rolled up to the entrance. The tanks' steel shafts aimed at the top of the cave and, with a signal from one of the soldiers, fired.

A monstrous boom assaulted their ears as the ground shook.

Aang and Katara gaped as a landslide of rocks rained down and completely clogged the hole; effectively trapping them inside of the cave.

Unsettling darkness overtook their surroundings.

"…"

"…"

"I knew this was a bad idea!" Sokka yelled angrily. Ignoring the teen's cursing, Aang and Katara blindly reached out around them in hopes of making physical contact.

"Katara? Chong? Everyone? Are you still here?" Aang didn't even bother asking if Sokka was present because his outraged screaming was endlessly echoing through the caverns. Hands meeting a rocky wall, Katara practically clung to the only reassurance of her current location and responded quietly.

"I'm here Aang." Aang breathed a sigh of relief but then felt his shoulders tense upon realizing that Chong nor any of the other nomads had yet to answer.

"Ch-Chong? Are you still there?"

He was met with silence.

"…Chong?" Apprehension crept into Aang's gut.

"Hey, Chong! Answer, will ya!" Sokka grumbled in annoyance. However, yet again, they didn't hear Chong's voice. Finally, the eeriness of the situation was beginning to settle in on Sokka, and the tan boy slowly allowed a pensive frown to appear on his face. Aang inhaled deeply, prepared to yell out Chong's name until he responded, but then blinked in shock when a light shone in the distance.

Located in the upper-left field of his vision was a suspended torch. Another torch lit up next to it, followed by two more on the opposite wall, and then another, and then another…and then another. Assisted by the new source of light, Sokka and Katara managed to show up at Aang's side. The siblings' traded equally curious expressions, _'who lit the torches? And how?'_ Katara wondered warily. Sokka looked around pointedly, realizing that the nature nomads were nowhere in sight. Clearing his throat nervously, he muttered.

"Uhhh…guys. I don't see the sing-song nature people anywhere." He unconsciously withdrew his boomerang, instantly becoming paranoid and on edge, "What if they were kidnapped or something?"

"Y-you don't think it's the curse, do you?" Aang stuttered. Sokka managed to force out a confident scoff.

"Oh please, I don't believe that love curse mumbo jumbo for one second! Curses aren't real and neither is this one! Now then…" Strutting ahead of his companions, Sokka studied what was in front of him. The single tunnel divided into two separate paths. Neither passage presented a single difference nor any hints as to where they would lead. Not all deterred by this development, Sokka stuck his finger in his mouth and withdrew it—the appendage coated in saliva—before raising it in the air. He patiently waited for a gust of wind, just the tiniest blow of air, to waft against his finger…

And by patiently, we mean impatiently.

Pretending as if he did feel something, Sokka grinned cockily and pointed at the left hole—forgetting just how dire the situation was and deciding to follow his instincts instead of fact.

"This way! We'll be out in no time! And I bet those nomad nuts will be on the other side waiting for us too!" Aang and Katara swapped worried glances, as they both had a sinking suspicion that Sokka was a bit over his head. However, afraid that they would be split apart, the pair quickly followed him.

-XXX-

After a solid three hours of aimless walking, Sokka collapsed to his hands and knees and admitted defeat.

"Guys…it's official," His wide, disturbingly innocent orbs locked onto his exhausted comrades, "We're lost!"

"Thanks for the info, genius…" Katara growled sarcastically with a raised fist; absolutely dying inside to clock her brother one good time. She and Aang had been trying to convince Sokka of this unfortunate news for nearly an hour. It was safe to say that the waterbender's patience was running dangerously thin.

"Now is not the time for flattery, Katara! Can't you see we're lost?!" Sokka suddenly gained a thoughtful look. "Then again…if you really wanna flatter me, find some meat around here. I'm starving!"

"We're in a cave! Where would I find any meat?!"

Sokka snorted.

"Feh, like I know! That's something all women should know! You should be a professional at the domestic stuff, right?"

Noticing Katara's surfacing wrath, Aang—being the wise little monk that he was—inched away and gave her _a lot_ of breathing room. Deeming that he was now a safe distance away, he smiled warmly and quipped.

"It can't be too much farther guys. Don't worry, we'll be out of…here…s-soon…"

A bizarre sensation inundated the Avatar's body.

It felt as if raw, genuine care and love was surging beneath his skin in waves. He subconsciously took a step forward, relaxed his posture, tilted his head back, closed his stormy eyes and basked in the unknown force. Although he had no clue what was reaching into the depths of his soul, he had never connected with a spiritual presence that was so utterly _right_ and _trustworthy_.

**_"_****_Avatar…"_**

The softest of whispers caused Aang to jump.

Katara and Sokka, noticing Aang's unnerving silence and open gawking, broke out of their squabbling and stared worriedly.

"Aang?" Katara called out.

_'__H-hello?'_ Aang answered back in his thoughts, still not sure if that soft waft actually spoke to him. _'Is someone there?'_

**_"_****_I am quite present, young Avatar."_**

"Aang!" This time Katara's voice was tinged with panic. Whenever Aang would space out, she would usually keep calm and assume that he was conversing in the spirit world…but the monk's tattoos were not glowing. Nor was he seated in his meditative position.

**_"_****_Do you trust me?" _**The gender of the voice was perplexing. The monk couldn't tell whether it wavered with feminine gentleness or pulsed with masculine authority. It sounded as if the tone withheld both.

_'__I-I do but…I don't know why. I just do.'_ Aang's thoughts shuddered, _'Who are you?'_

**_"_****_I was born without a name…but many mortals have taken to naming me, simply, as Love."_** There was a pleased ring to Love's tone, **_"I admit that the title has quite grown on me."_**

"Oi, Aang!" Sokka said while closely scrutinizing his frozen friend.

Still nothing.

Blue eyes filled to the brim with worry, Katara gripped Aang's shoulders and shook him.

"Aang, please! You're scaring me!"

_'__Wow…'_ Aang realized in awe, _'You're Love…No wonder I feel so great right now. It's like I'm at peace…But what could you possibly want from me?'_

**_"_****_As you already know, young Avatar, you are the only bridge between the real world and the spirit world. Thus, I humbly request your assistance…and I believe it holds much importance to you, as it will greatly affect the outcome of the war."_**

Katara backed away as—finally—Aang's tattoos began to glow brightly. His illuminated form peeled back even more of the darkness, lighting up nearly yards worth of upcoming pathways. The watertribe siblings backed away unsurely. They have never witnessed Aang's spiritual energy beam so brightly before.

"The heck is going on? Something isn't right!" Sokka pointed out worriedly.

"I don't know." Katara replied in an even more concerned tone than Sokka's.

**_"_****_There are things that I must show you, young Avatar…and your friends as well."_**

Aang tensed, _'What? Why? Katara and Sokka probably won't handle the experience too well.'_

**_"_****_Do not worry, I shall be gentle. Now…just breathe, young Avatar, and place your faith in Love…"_** At first, the airbender was still hesitant but, obeying the spirit's orders and taking a deep, tranquil breath, he eventually allowed himself to be swallowed by unconsciousness.

"W-whoa there!" Sokka and Katara caught Aang's limp body before it met the ground and gently lowered him. His frame was still glowing but he had suddenly fell back and was knocked out like a light. Looming over the monk, the siblings grew confused as overwhelming grogginess overcame their senses.

**_"_****_Sleep, my children…"_**

A sweet, comforting voice whispered in their ears. It had almost sounded just like their mother. They released long yawns and, without much resistance, lied down on either sides of Aang and drifted off into deep sleep.

-XXX-

_'__As if having to kill the Avatar wasn't enough!'_ Azula endlessly paced in the infirmary, looming in front of the curtain. On the other side of the cloth was Koda and, coincidentally, her personal servant Hu-Ni. Apparently, the man was quite skilled in the medical field and had tended for many of returning soldiers' severe wounds contracted during battle. The princess could hear Koda's yelps of pain and childish complaining but that wasn't what was ruffling her feathers.

It was Ozai.

Earlier, when Hu-Ni had been visually examining Koda's burns, Azula was once again summoned by Ozai. She had assumed it was just last minute prepping before docking the ship, so she wasn't too bothered by it. However, once she found out what the Fire Lord wished to speak with her about, it had taken all of her will power not to groan in exasperation.

_-XXX-_

_"__You have requested me, Father?"_

_Per usual, Azula didn't waste time to respectfully kneel before her father's throne and bow her head—more to hide her annoyed grimace than anything else._

_She couldn't leave his prodding eyes and the palace soon enough._

_"__Azula…" Azula couldn't be sure, but she could've sworn more malice than usual was swimming on the tip of Ozai's tongue, "It has quite recently come to my attention that traitors are among the family!" His voice boomed._

_Azula tensed and her heartbeat all but stopped. Her throat was as tight as steel; her lungs constricting under the ball of fear growing in her chest._

_Had he already discovered her hidden motives? No, he couldn't have. If that was indeed the case, then Ozai would've already sent both her and Koda to immediate execution._

_Azula tried with all her might not to gulp as her mind raced to plan a quick escape—_

_"__I received late information concerning your pathetic brother and uncle, Iroh."_

_Azula paused…_

_…__Then finally allowed herself to breathe, __**'thank Agni...'**_

_Fortunately, Azula's unbreakable mask had done a wonderful job of veiling her moment of sheer panic. Regaining her bearings in under a second, she feigned an odd muddle of curiosity and satisfaction._

_"__So the weaklings have finally slipped up?"_

_"__It appears so" Ozai coldly agreed; inwardly approving of Azula's evident glee at Zuko and Iroh's future demise. "And so…your mission now includes killing Avatar…and capturing those traitors. They will be brought back to face life imprisonment!" He punctuated that last declaration with a powerful slam of his fist to the arm of his throne chair; the bed of flames behind him momentarily exploding with ferocity._

_Again, Azula's trained reflexes saved the prodigy and stopped her from flinching at the display._

_"__From what my sources have told me, they are currently residing in the Earth Kingdom. Find those __**damn**__ conspirators, no matter what… "_

_Nodding, Azula slowly leveled her amber gaze with Ozai's, _

_"__As you wish…Father."_

_Azula left and returned to the infirmary._

_-XXX-_

First Ozai wanted Azula to deliberately kill someone in cold-blood and now he wanted her to personally arrest her brother and uncle.

This man was truly a blood-thirsty menace.

By no means did Azula like Zuko nor Iroh. Although she hadn't admitted it to anyone but Koda, she was always jealous of the attention Zuko used to always receive from their mother. Also, Iroh never even gave her a chance. He automatically assumed she was a lost cause and was already tainted by Ozai's evil influence. The rotund man was honestly her last hope but he had simply dumped her off—along with her vulnerable humanity—at Ozai's feet. However, despite all of this, the princess was human and humans, normally, grew attached to their family members.

And…as much as it made Azula want to gag…she harbored some form of care for Zuko and Iroh.

_'__Agni, I'm getting nauseas just thinking about it!'_ Azula sneered. At the moment, she had abandoned her pacing for sitting in a lone chair, her crossed legs bouncing impatiently and her arms folded.

After what felt like an eternity of waiting, Hu-Ni pulled back the curtains.

He was frowning sourly.

Once his vision landed on the princess, all negativity drained from his face and he informed politely, "It took a while due to his struggling, Your Highness, but Koda is all patched up now." The patient in question appeared, grumbling and fingering the gauzed wrapped around his head—Azula didn't blame him, those things could be really itchy, especially if it was brushing against a sensitive burn. Ignoring the angry pouts Koda was directing at him, Hu-Ni continued, "I'll talk with medics boarding your ship so they know what kind of injuries they're dealing with ahead of time."

Azula calmly stood to her feet and analyzed Koda. The ex-prisoner was wearing a sleeveless, burgundy tunic and simple peasant trousers of the same color. On his feet ankle-length boots. They weren't exactly made of the thickest material but the steel plates on the bottom made up for it.

Although the wrapping was secured quite tightly around his head, turfs of his dark mane peeked through at random spots and the rest was still swept over his right eye and ear. Like before, the Fire Nation royal had to begrudgingly admit that he looked adorable. If Azula hadn't known that Koda's back was injured, she wouldn't be able to notice the gauze wrapped from his mid-pectorals to his lower abdomen. The scratches on his face were completely scabbed over now but, luckily, they didn't turn out to be as wide and grotesque as Azula feared.

Most would assume that the shirt was a size too small since the fabric hugged the man's torso snuggly but Azula knew exactly what she was doing and couldn't help but smirk. _'A little eye candy never hurts'_

Upon realizing something, Azula then turned to Hu-Ni and commanded.

"There's no need to do that. Just tell me what needs to be done. He is my sex slave, so I will personally see to his medical needs." If it wasn't for the heavily authoritative tone of her voice, Hu-Ni would've been suspicious. Instead, he briefly tripped over his words in surprise before eagerly complying and explaining the procedures.

Behind Hu-Ni, Koda smiled warmly at Azula, obviously flattered at the princess's willingness to heal his burns. Catching the smile, Azula just flashed him a knowing look instead of returning the smile—it wouldn't be wise to baffle Hu-Ni anymore than he already was.

Anxiety bubbling in his chest, Koda went out on a limb and mouthed, "I love you."

An emotion that Koda was sadly all too familiar with flashed in his lover's fiery orbs.

She looked away, placing all of her focus on Hu-Ni.

Koda's shoulders momentarily slumped but rose again with renewed determination, _'I know you love me, my Beautiful Dragonfly…you'll say it one day.'_

The day would come soon, he just knew it.

_-XXX-_

_"__Food? F-food please…a-anyone?" A little girl begged weakly. She watched in disappointment as pedestrians only stopped to gaze at her pity before walking by the dirty alley._

_And they had every right to pity her._

_The child, who appeared to be no older than seven years old, was completely covered in grime. It seemed as if she hadn't had a bath in months. Even though her hair was pulled back into a sloppy ponytail, her oily strands and split-ends could not be ignored. Her wide eyes were constantly glistening with plea and waning hope._

_She continued to call out to a stranger for food but, as she fearfully expected, no one helped her. She sighed dejectedly and fiddled with the hem of her ragged shirt…_

_…_

_Suddenly, she felt a chill rack her tiny body…_

_Cautiously raising her vision, she looked out to the street._

_She gasped._

_There, strolling proudly down the street, with a band of Fire Nation soldiers trailing behind her, was Princess Azula. In general, the firebending prodigy was quite intimidating but now, with her sinfully beautiful face twisted up in pent-up ire, the little girl was sure to have nightmares that night._

_Despite this, the girl frantically leaned and dipped her head, attempting to steal as many glances around the citizens' legs as she possible could. It was still rare to see Azula out of the palace, after all._

_However, the child froze when a low, rabid growl resounded dangerously close by._

_Turning rigidly, she came face-to-face with a furry muzzle; slobber dribbling past savage, snarling teeth. It was a stray Armadillo Dog…_

_…__And it did not look friendly._

_A scream caught in her throat and only registered as a distressed wheeze._

_The Armadillo Dog's shelled ears reared back, not at all pleased with the high-pitched noise. It slowly lowered into a threatening position, preparing to pounce._

_Another menacing growl._

_The girl parted her lips, ready to scream at the top of her lungs—_

_WHOOSH!_

_A family of blue flames collided into the Armadillo Dog's side and the animal retracted with a yelp. Taking advantage of the distraction, the child scrambled backwards but came to a sudden halt when her back collided into a pair of legs. Looking up at break-neck speed, the little girl could do nothing but gawk._

_It was Princess Azula._

_The royal's uncaring orbs snared onto the child. She scoffed lowly._

_"__Get out of here, dirty peasant. I'm having a bad day and need to release some steam." More than happy to escape from the feral beast, the young street rat scampered off down the street._

_Once the girl was out of sight, Azula locked her vison back on the Armadillo Dog, which was now cowering in the shadows and limping helplessly. The creature whimpered in agony as it continuously attempted to balance on its charred limbs._

_Azula's steel disposition faltered._

_She looked back, making sure that her guards were still blocking off the alley way with their backs facing her, before gradually advancing on the stray animal. It's whimpers increased in volume as Azula grew closer and growled quietly when she placed a hand on it's shell. Just the tiniest hint of apology fleeted through her amber orbs before she retracted a dagger with her other hand. Gently petting the Armadillo Dog in order to soothe it as much as possible, she swiftly buried the blade in its chest, making the death quick and painless._

_The armored creature squirmed and twitched for a few seconds but then immediately fell limp in a growing pool of blood._

_Jaw clenched and body rigid, Azula slowly rose to her feet and squeezed past the guards. As she entered the streets once more, her gaze remained glued to the ground._

_That didn't help her feel better at all._

* * *

**Author's Note:** Just to let you guys know, the random flashbacks will be a regular thing throughout this story. I just want to show Azula's softer moments to prove that she is human. Don't worry, some KodaXAzula flashbacks will show up too (especially next chapter) so be on the look out for that!

So, until next time, could you please leave a review and...

CLICK THE POST REVIEW BUTTON -.-


	6. I thought we were friends

**Author's Note:** Well then...took me long enough to update, huh? Yeah sorry about that. I've been really distracted with...well, life. Also, I took a vacation to Georgia for the past two weeks, so there was that too. But I've finally gotten around to updating! I'm sorry to say the Gaang isn't featured in this chapter but they'll show up in the next one! Pinky promise!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender or any of its characters.

Now please, enjoy the chapter! =D

* * *

They had a few hours before the ship departed.

Azula, feeling that she would need more muscle than just her troops, was currently treading down a forest pathway. Without a doubt, Koda was tagging along. Her guards were following a decent distance behind. They were practically out of hearing range but they still had a sufficient view of the pair.

Koda took in the nature around him and beamed joyfully. His emerald orbs eagerly scanned the trees, bushes, rodents, critters and even the dirt beneath his boot-clad feet. Never again would he take his freedom and the wide open spaces for granted.

However, the thickly built male's curiosity shifted to something else and asked Azula.

"Hey, where are we going anyways? I mean, not that I mind having a little alone time with you in the woods…Now that I think about it, that's actually kinda kinky—"

"Stop. Now. For both of our sakes." Azula interrupted blandly. Grinning coyly, Koda then gently bumped the princess's hip with his own.

"Then spill, my beautiful dragonfly."

Azula rolled her ocher eyes before admitting coolly.

"Fine. It was my fault for even assuming that your childish impatience could last the entire walk." Koda's grin widened a bit at the insult but remained silent, "We're going to the circus."

Koda audibly gasped.

Knowing the scarred man so well, she then rushed in before his excitement grew too much, "We're _not_ going there to have fun, Koda."

Koda's form deflated in fake dejection and pouted, "Damn…Then why are we?"

"Do you realize that you ask too many questions?"

"Yeah, obviously."

A sigh escaped Azula as she pinched the bridge of her nose.

"We're going there to recruit Ty Lee…" Recognition glimmered in the baking apprentice's eyes.

"Ty Lee? I remember you talking about her…Isn't she one of your old friends from the academy?" Azula just barely allowed a smirk to grace her blood red lips. Koda wasn't lying when he said he always listened to her.

"That is correct."

"Do I get a reward?"

"Yes. You have the honor…of shutting up."

Koda hissed, placed a hand over his heart and recoiled.

"Ouch! So cold, my beautiful dragonfly."

"Thank you. I try my best." Azula smirked at her lover haughtily, who in turn answered with a warm smile. It was always a golden moment—in Koda's opinion—when the firebending prodigy used some light humor. It filled the green-eyed peasant with pride, as he knew that he was the sole influence for her behavior. Feeling generous, Koda decided to spare Azula anymore of his babbling and allowed a comfortable silence to settle over them.

However, the moment of peace didn't last long as the circus grounds quickly came into view. Acting as if he was a child on Christmas morning, the ex-prisoner gaped at his surroundings—clearly excited at the sight of exotic animals and practicing performers. Azula had to stop herself from scoffing when Koda pointed at a caged platypus bear and whispered in awe.

"Whoa, I've never seen one up close…"

Koda's giddy murmurs soon became background noise to Azula—a task that she definitely had to develop upon first getting to know him. The princess could still recall those days when Koda's immature words would drive her close to the point of committing homicide. If it wasn't for his infuriatingly adorable smiles and sugary apologies, the man would've been firewood a long time ago. She pulled from her thoughts as her amber eyes locked onto a familiar figure…

…Or a flexible figure, to be more precise.

Just a few feet ahead was Ty Lee; decked out in a pink acrobatic outfit. She was currently standing on her hands with her back arching until her toes grazed her brunette hair. Just like in Azula's memories, Ty Lee was smiling as brightly as she used to back in their academy days. The princess stoned her features but purposely slapped a silver of a smile on her lips—taking caution to appear as in-character yet nonthreatening as possible. When the pair came within sight, Ty Lee nearly had to do a double-take before her gray eyes widened in surprise.

"Azula?" The acrobat landed on her feet and scrutinized her old companion; almost unable to believe the sight before her. However, Ty Lee could never forget that cold, confident face. She squealed and, without a second thought, rushed forward to embrace Azula.

"Azula! I can't believe it! It's so good to see you!"

Azula tensed for the shortest moment before returning the gesture and replying, "It's good to see you too, Ty Lee. It's been too long."

Koda patiently stood off to the side and directed a lop-sided smile at Azula's back. Unlike most people, he was well aware of his lover's likely internal struggle. She hesitated to reciprocate the form of affection but she managed to fight her discomfort and treaded into foreign territory. Although the green eyed man didn't have solid proof that her sentiments behind the hug was completely genuine, he placed faith in her. He recollected all of the supposedly off-hand comments from Azula about her old friendship with the acrobat. It was almost impossible to catch but Koda noticed how the prodigy's voice gained a bit of life to it. Koda's pride from before reappeared stronger than before.

His beautiful dragonfly was making progress.

Breaking free from the embrace, Ty Lee enquired curiously, "What have you been up to all these years? Doing things around the palace?"

A disgruntled sigh from Azula, "Yes, unfortunately. I understand that tasks such as monitoring treaty documents are important but they can become quite mundane. But that is not an issue anymore."

"Why's that?" Ty Lee asked curiously. Azula's famous intimidation came into play as her posture straightened regally. With her chin tipped back in a show of superiority, the princess answered curtly.

"I have been the bestowed the mission of hunting down the Avatar since my brother was clearly unfit to do so. Although I don't doubt my skills, I still need a few extra hands to assist me when necessary." A tiny frown appeared on Koda's face as he silently listened, _'it's like one big leap forward and a small step back every time…'_ Judging by Ty Lee's slightly uncomfortable squirming, the acrobat was not fond of where the conversation was heading. "Feel honored, Ty Lee, because I'm recruiting you."

"O-oh, um…wow, Azula. That's sounds great—really! But," The carny fiddled with her braid, "this is my home now. The circus needs me, you know? And I love it here! This is my home!" She finished this with a broad smile and threw her arms out joyfully.

"Home, huh…" Azula mumbled and then sneered in disgust when the platypus bear from before crouched and laid an egg. Locking her intense gaze back onto Ty Lee, the princess continued, "If I'm not mistaken, Ty Lee, I had thought we were friends. I guess I was wrong."

Although the amount of hurt pumped into her accusation was obviously fake, Ty Lee had still taken the bait. Her innocent orbs widened in horror and she gawked.

"W-what? But we are friends, Azula! I-it's just that the circus—"

"So you're saying you'd rather put your job before me?"

"No, no, that's not it at all! I just…I just…I-I…"

"You what? You don't care about me anymore?"

"I-I do…" Ty Lee looked to be on the verge of sobbing.

And Koda had seen enough.

He stepped in between the squabbling friends, plastered on his biggest smile and held out a hand to Ty Lee.

"Hey there, Ty Lee! It's nice to meet you! I'm Koda and I apologize ahead of time if my rugged handsomeness is too much to take in right now." He mentally sighed in relief when all traces of the acrobat's distress disappeared. She giggled before happily shaking his hand.

"Hey to you too, Koda! I'm so sorry, I didn't realize you were here until now." Gently freeing himself from Ty Lee's disturbingly tight grip, Koda reassured.

"Don't worry, I know you didn't mean it—whoa!"

Koda was suddenly yanked away by the collar of his shirt. He stumbled back until Azula's lips were mere centimeters away from his ear and cringed when she hissed in irritation.

"I can handle this."

Biting his tongue to halt a comeback, Koda simply straightened out his shirt, crossed his arms and pouted childishly.

"Hmph! I was just trying to make friends."

"You're a sex slave—you don't need friends." Ty Lee, who had been watching the interaction with a great deal of interest, choked on air upon hearing Azula's last statement. Sporting a deep blush, the acrobat guffawed.

"S-sex slave? Him? And You?" She shifted her wide stare between the pair. The performer's usually relaxed form was as stiff as a board. Although Ty Lee was no stranger to flirting with the opposite sex, intercourse was a whole different story. Ever since she ran away from home, she never received any pressure to marry any males who descended from royal families. So she dragged along and teased most of the guys in her life; never giving up what they hoped for by the end of the day.

Smirking at the teen's surprise, Azula snaked a hand up Koda's chest, over his broad shoulders, until it rested on the back of his neck. Her fine nails lightly dug into Koda's tan skin. The peasant's teeth gnashed as he forced the fire in his chest to cool, _'not fair! She knows what that does to me!'_ Despite this, he couldn't find it in himself to be aggravated by Azula's actions. Besides, judging by the princess's sudden, possessive touches, Koda realized in deep amusement that she may be jealous. Ty Lee was indeed attractive and her blind optimism could be quite refreshing to most men; but still, Koda was almost taken aback at the fact that the princess—of all people—would openly claim him. All of her movements practically screamed: "He's mine, back off."

He inwardly smirked at that thought.

"That's right," Azula purred, "he will come quite in handy whenever I feel a little…pent up." She directed a meaningful glance at Koda's stiff form. The thickly built male only stared ahead; intent on avoiding her teasing stare and focusing on one, lone goal.

He had to act like he didn't enjoy the attention.

Agni give him strength.

Koda decided to play it safe and only revealed a tight, lop-sided grin.

"O-oh…well, um, that's really something! Good for you, A-Azula~!" Ty Lee declared with an awkward pep in her step; hoping that her voice didn't waver with as much discomfort as she felt. Azula reveled in her masterful ability to get underneath her old friend's skin. As much as the firebending prodigy loathed to admit it, she was never able to make Ty Lee squirm in the past. However, a solution finally splayed itself before her and she couldn't help but inwardly cackle at the irony of it all. _'I never thought public displays of affection would make her, a natural flirt, uncomfortable. A fine discovery indeed…'_ Not a beat later, Azula schooled her features into a staid mask and stated lowly.

"Back to business, Ty Lee. I'd think wisely if I were you."

"Please, Azula," Ty Lee pleaded softly, "don't make me choose…" The acrobat searched every nook and cranny of Azula's daunting amber eyes but, much to her anxiety, she failed to find any signs of the princess yielding anytime soon. Gulping audibly, she avoided eye contact and rushed out meekly.

"I'm sorry but I can't."

Ty Lee screwed her eyes shut and scrunched up her shoulders—prepared to face the consequences of disobeying her childhood friend.

...

A lengthy moment of silence…

Every muscle in Koda's body went taut; awaiting the moment for when his lover would pounce. The green eyed male knew he had no chance of physically stopping the prodigy but he would at least distract her long enough to save the acrobat's life, _'show a little mercy my beautiful dragonfly…'_ he begged mentally.

A strangely resigned sigh escaped Azula as she rolled her eyes.

"Fine, if you truly believe this…charming place is where you belong, then I shall not get in the way of that."

Ty Lee blinked.

"Really?"

Koda blinked—twice.

"Whazzit?"

Baring a seemingly innocent expression, Azula nodded slowly as if her lover and childhood friend were babbling idiots—well, they were at the moment, but that's besides the point, "I said that I'll allow you to stay, Ty Lee." The pink wearing carny bounced in her spot while clapping gleefully.

"Oooh, thank you, Azula! Thank you, thank you, thank—"

"I'll come watch your show." The Fire Nation princess interrupted casually.

All motion from the acrobat ceased, her skin tone ashened and her brown irises turned into saucer plates, "y-y-you're coming?"

"That is what I just said."

"Y-you really don't have to, Azula."

"I insist." The last two syllables fired at Ty Lee like a pair of lethal missiles; rendering her vulnerable and defeated. The acrobat's shoulders sagged for a moment before she reinforced her bubbly personality.

"Well that's great! I really hope you enjoy the show, Azula! Oh, you too Koda!"

"W-wouldn't miss the Platypus Bears for the world…" Koda trailed off awkwardly with his suspicious fern gaze never leaving Azula. Once the trio traded their final goodbyes and Ty Lee disappeared into a tent, Koda instantly turned on his smirking lover. The ex-prisoner whispered nervously.

"A-Azula…I have a feeling you're not just gonna watch the show." Absolutely every cell of Azula's being radiated triumph—her posture literally spilling over with regal superiority. She examined her sharp nails before replying smoothly.

"Oh, what could possibly give you that idea, Koda?"

"Uuuuuugh" Koda drawled in an oddly deep whine while throwing his head back. That was it, there was no question about it now. He easily recognized Azula's scheming posture and the mischievous quirk of her lips—she was reverting back to her sadistic tendencies. Sliding a hand down his face—and avoiding his soar scabs—he then mumbled, "just don't hurt her, okay? And I don't just mean physically either. Think about her feelings…"

Unfortunately, his genuine tone seemed to go through one of Azula's ears and out the other. Waving him off dismissively, the princess responded.

"Yes, yes, feelings. I'll keep that in mind. Now come, Koda. The show will start soon." Koda watched Azula's retreating form sadly; his heart throbbing with deep disappointment. Sighing and shaking his head, Koda only hoped that Azula wouldn't be too hard on Ty Lee, _'what am I gonna do with you, my beautiful dragonfly?'_

-XXX-

Unbelievable.

Koda couldn't believe Azula did that to poor Ty Lee.

Was it really necessary to light the net on fire—**_fire_**?!

But, then again…Koda actually could believe Azula would do that.

He just didn't want to.

He, Azula and Ty Lee were currently exiting the circus grounds—guards once again trailing behind a comfortable distance. The green eyed man would have gladly gave his two cents and reprimanded Azula a while ago but there were two problems with that idea. One, no sane individual besides Ozai would dare try to scold Azula. Two, Koda grew weak in the knees and lost his courage whenever he attempted to do so.

His mind and heart constantly waged war between each other—it was logical to inform Azula of her unfair treatment towards Ty Lee but his gentle nature couldn't possibly handle the strain. He loved Azula—deeply—and causing her sadness went against every fiber of his being.

So, the scarred male settled for crossing his arms and grumbling childishly behind the girls; refusing to make eye contact with Azula. It appeared that the prodigy could care less about her sex slave's pouty mood but it was the unnoticeable details about her demeanor that gave her away. The way her nails dug into the fine fabric of her sleeves, the way her jaw inconspicuously clenched every few moments, the way her usually graceful stride became forceful and stiff—as much as the princess hated to admit it, Koda's sour attitude was nagging her very core, _'he can't possibly be that upset…I didn't even harm Ty Lee! He's overreacting!'_ A pause in her thoughts, _'he is overreacting…right?'_ Now doubt began to creep into her conscious.

She snuck a glance at Ty Lee; who was as bubbly and bright as ever. If any other person were to analyze her at that moment, they surely wouldn't think that the acrobat recently escaped a near-death experience brought on by her childhood friend.

Ty Lee was fine; thus, Koda was indeed overreacting, _'he's just having a random hissy fit. That big fool will get over it soon.'_ She capped off her musings with that last thought and refused to bring it up anymore. Once they reached the docks, Azula held back an annoyed groan and Koda cracked a smile when Ty Lee squealed at the sight of their ship. Without another word, she sprinted up the ramp and scampered through every chamber the vessel provided before cartwheeling across the top deck. She landed on her dainty feet and leaned on the rails; staring out into sea with twinkling excitement.

"Oh wow, I forgot how beautiful the sea is! Come look you guys!" Again, Azula's ochre orbs rolled but she couldn't restrain the amused grin from spreading across her face. As much as the princess's expression warmed his heart, Koda suppressed a smile of his own before boarding the ship. Azula had incredible self-control but no amount of will power could ignore the sting in her chest, _'now he's ignoring me?'_

Azula could handle Koda's pouting any day of the week—part of the reason being that she found it annoyingly cute every once in a blue moon—but ignoring her was a whole different story…

Shaking off her pesky emotions, Azula finally scaled the ramp and, on her call, the anchor was raised. As the ship gradually pulled away from land, the prodigy hesitated for a moment before steeling herself and approaching Koda—who was chatting animatedly with Ty Lee. However, even as she was a foot away from the pair, they were too wrapped up in their conversation to notice her arrival.

"So you think Mer-people are real too?!"

"Hell yeah I do! I mean, why not? All we need are a pair of gills and sparkly fins!"

"That's exactly what I said! But everyone says that's stupid…"

"Aw, don't listen to them, Ty Lee! We're just one step ahead of the world! One day, when mermaids and mermen start to invade the planet, we'll already be prepared! The Atlantis Apocalypse won't even touch us!"

"Oh! Oh! I'll get all the floaties! You can get the food!"

A vein pulsated on Azula's forehead before she barked angrily.

"Ahem!" Koda and Ty Lee nearly jumped out of their skins before directing equally quizzical stares at the fuming princess, "I hate to interrupt your riveting conversation but I must borrow Koda for a moment…" Sweat beaded on the back of Koda's neck as his lover's frigid tone coated his spine.

"D-did I do something wrong, uh…Your Highness?" Odd. Referring to Azula as 'Your Highness' felt completely, utterly odd. Her heated glare burning into his stiff form, Azula silently beckoned him with a finger and slowly treaded to the back chambers of the ship. Koda and Ty Lee traded a confused glance before the ex-prisoner reluctantly followed. Once he rounded the corner, Koda yelped as a force suddenly yanked him into a room by his wrist. Initially, Koda planned on keeping calm and collected like a suave secret agent but that plan was tossed out the window when the door slammed shut with an eerie clang. Running on nothing more than his jokster habits, he assumed a fighting stance and rambled breathlessly.

"N-now look here! You don't wanna mess with me! I got a hard head and I pack a killer punch! And I'm Princess Azula's sex slave! You can't touch this! This body is exclusively to be ravished by Azula alone! I-I have my sex slave rights!"

"Oh shut up you idiot…" Azula's voice drawled. Instantly recognizing his lover's voice, Koda's demeanor sagged in relief and sighed.

"Oh, it's just you Azula—"

"Who else did you think it was?" A dim light filled the spacious room—the illumination originating from an oil lamp located beside Azula's bed, "and a sex slave doesn't have any rights. They're called slaves for a reason." The princess expected Koda to shoot back a sassy remark like usual but frowned when he only bared a neutral expression.

"Oh, right." He shoved his hands into his pants pockets, "so what did you want to talk about?"

That blank face—that loveable, irritating, blank face.

Azula had just about reached her limit with Koda's distant behavior. Gnashing her teeth, she seethed lowly.

"Would you stop acting like a big baby and explain what your problem is?" That response weeded a quirked eyebrow out of Koda.

"I don't have a problem."

"Don't play games with me, Koda."

"I seriously have no idea what you're talking about."

"I'm going to give you until the count of three…"

"Th-that's not fair!"

"Three"

"Oh Agni the counting…I hate the counting!"

"Two"

"Oh well, at least I can die a handsome man…"

"One and a half…" With each trading of words, Azula decreased the space between them one step at a time. By this point, her nose was inches away from touching Koda's, "…I'm serious Koda. What's gotten into you?" Against his own accord, Koda released an indignant scoff and countered.

"Me? What about you?" In a rare moment of occurrence, Azula's anger diminished and in its place was light confusion.

"What are you talking about now?" A sheen of disappointment spread Koda's emerald orbs as he whispered dejectedly.

"Azula…how could you do that to Ty Lee? I thought she was your childhood best friend." She took an unintentional step back; suddenly finding the floor incredibly interesting.

"She was—is." Koda noticed how the lamp's flame flickered a bright blue before settling back into a kindling red. His tone practically overflowed with despondent knowing.

"You don't sound so sure yourself, Azula…" The princess's hand met the center of Koda's chest—as if she was attempting to physically halt the realization from creeping any further into his mind.

"Stop. I am quite sure of myself." Koda's emerald gaze glistened.

"Everything you said earlier…it was more than just an act, wasn't it?"

"I said stop." Azula's voice rang firmer than before but her lover refused to back down.

"You actually thought Ty Lee didn't care about you anymore. That the circus meant more than you two's friendship—" Azula shoved him away; her ruby lips pressing into a thin line as she spat.

"Do **_not_** try to analyze me, Koda! You know nothing!" The lamp's flame spiked again, only this time it didn't return to original size. The ball of fire was licking along the copper bars surrounding the pit. Koda stumbled a bit in pain—his burned torso was still quite sore—but he manage to cloak his discomfort and approached the princess once more. He held his arms out and it only took a split second for Azula to comprehend his motives. The tips of her fingers sparked and her amber orbs narrowed warningly, "don't…" she hissed lowly.

"Hiding from me won't do you any good." He reasoned softly.

His figure grew closer.

Her figure unconsciously retreated a step back.

"I do not hide from anyone!"

"It hurt, didn't it? Ty Lee's friendship probably means a lot to you and I bet she was a really loyal friend…"

Blue wisps danced in the lamp flame.

"I am the Fire Nation princess! All of my subjects must be loyal to me!"

"Back then…you said you two used to play games and talk all the time. I don't think Ty Lee was your friend just because she had to be…do you?"

A step closer—two more steps back.

"Y-yes…no! I mean, she had to—" Azula's lower back bumped into her desk; bringing attention to the infuriating fact that she had been backing away this entire time. Her heated hands tightly gripped the wooden edge and caused the scent of smoldering timber to fill the air around them. Koda's bulky form loomed a mere few centimeters before the prodigy; his gentle breath wafting across her cheek as he leaned forward to snuggly embrace her.

Azula refused to lose this battle; even if she had already lost the war. Every inch of her body tensed up, her hands remained transfixed to the desk and her expression hardened. She was going to win this round…

Is what she told herself every time before she would unwind in face of his secret weapon—

Chapped lips pressed against her forehead.

"No matter how much you hide…no matter how many times you run away…no matter what you say, I will always understand, my Beautiful Dragonfly."

And there it was.

The sincerity—the promise to never give up on her. To always be there. To understand aspects of herself that even she had no knowledge of. It proved to be an attack far deadlier yet reassuring than her intelligent mind could ever hope to conjure up.

The lamp's fire flared a vibrant cobalt before it suddenly died out. Darkness surrounded the pair as a still silence ruled the room.

The body in Koda's arms shifted…

Until a forehead fell to his chest. Resting his chin in Azula's raven locks, Koda whispered.

"So it's true…you were hurt. You didn't like how Ty Lee was choosing the circus over you, after years of not seeing each other…you expected her to jump at the chance, not turn it down…" he dawned a sad smile, "and I bet you didn't even know what you were feeling until just now."

The princess's shuddering exhale warmed the skin over his heart.

"Ty Lee cares about you…but, sadly, she's afraid of you. And probably that other girl too…Mai, I think you said." Hands slid around his side to cautiously grip fistfuls of his shirt.

"But you know what? I'm betting all of my chocolate cakes you've changed since Ty Lee last saw you. She just hasn't seen it yet…if she did, I'm sure she'd be more than happy to give you a chance. To get back the friendship you two had, you know?" Koda paused; seeming as if he was awaiting an answer from the silent girl. Of course, he knew he wasn't going to get one—not when Azula was in such a rare and vulnerable state. However, he had to act casual and light like this. It was all for his lover's sake. The last thing Azula would want is for him to point out her battered heart peeking out of her lavish sleeve.

Keep it casual. Keep it light.

After allowing another moment of silence to pass, Koda then slowly guided Azula to where he guessed the bed was located. They sat down on the mattress, the princess's grip on his shirt never wavering, and Koda patiently waited for his lover to recover some emotional stability. Finally, her voice—no louder than a pin needle drop and no firmer than his father's fresh baked dough—reached Koda's ears.

"I…I appreciate you…" The statement was pained and coated in a light sheen of apology but Koda knew what her heart was trying to translate through her mouth. His toothless smile widening a ghost of an inch, the peasant leaned forward and pecked her lips.

"I know…I love you too, my Beautiful Dragonfly." However, it wasn't a moment later that the man's voice adopted a sheepish inflection to it as he asked.

"So, uh…these bandages are seriously really itchy. Can you change them pwease?" Koda heard his lover release a scoff and he could practically envision the princess rolling her eyes.

"Take your shirt off and lay down, idiot…"

"Ooooh, how about you turn on the lights? I like to see your face when we make love~."

"Stop talking. Now."

"Geez, such a mood killer…but seriously though, I think you need to see to do this. So, use your magical fire powers and light up this place."

"A sex slave never commands their master to do anything."

"Bet you're still gonna turn on the lamp though—"

"You know what? Keep the bandages on; you'll only get an infection—"

"No! No, I'm sorry! I'll stop talking!"

* * *

**Author's Note:** Hahahah! Man, I really love writing all of this funny and light banter between Koda and Azula! And I figured I give their relationship an intense moment since, you know, not everything is rainbows and sunshine between them. But their love for each other does indeed win out. Okay guys, that's all for now! Sorry not a lot happened in this chapter, hopefully I can make up for that in the next one. But, until then, please leave a review and...

CLICK THE REVIEW BUTTON -.-


	7. I am a mess

**Author's Note:** Holy crap...wow, never thought I'd actually have time to write this! Okay, my pathetic excuse for taking forever is that college sucks away ALL of my free time! Also, my Creative Writing class requires a lot of writing, so by the time I finish a story for that course, I'm drained, too drained to work on fanfiction. So I truly am sorry. However, I'm on Spring Break, so I now have the energy and time to work on fanfiction! Yayyyyyyy! *clap, clap, clap!*

Anyways, hope you guys enjoy this decently long chapter! There's more flashback stuff between Koda and Azula, just as you guys asked! XD

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender or any of its characters.

* * *

The last thing Sokka remembered was hovering over Aang and shaking the young monk in an attempt to wake him. Then, the next thing he knew, a loving voice doused his entire being in comfort and, against the tribal boy's will, lulled him to a gentle sleep. He had seen Katara fall asleep as well and he assumed that she experienced the same sleep spell as he did before darkness overcame his vision.

Now Sokka found himself floating.

_Floating_

And, as if the meat-lover didn't have enough of a reason to panic, he realized with a strangled gasp that his skin was translucent and emitting a pale blue sheen of light. Nothing but white surrounded him and, much to his rapidly growing franticness, it appeared to expand in all directions for eternity.

"Guys?!" Sokka yelled while glancing wildly about him; his ghostly form rotating and twisting in the midair with each turn of his head. When he didn't receive an immediate response, Sokka attempted to soothe his bubbling fear with a humored laugh, but his voice came out as a quivering chuckle.

"Th-this is crazy…" he mumbled while running a spiritual hand through his wolf-tail styled hair, "am I dead? Is this supposed to be heaven? Or hell? I imagined a lot more fire—"

"Ugh…where am I?" Katara groaned right next to Sokka as her equally-as-translucent form phased into existence next to Sokka. Without much thought, Sokka pounced onto his disorientated sister and yelled melodramatically.

"You're here! I was so worried—wait…why're you in hell? What did you do?!" Sokka yelled accusingly while narrowing his pale eyes. Shoving off her brother with a huff, Katara crossed her arms and began scolding the idiot, but then halted when she noticed their unusual apparel. She examined her hands and body in blatant confusion.

"What the…" she directed Sokka a look of horror, "what's happened to us? W-weren't we just in the cave a moment ago?!" Sokka threw up his arms in exasperation.

"You think I haven't been wondering about that too? Last thing I remember Aang was zoning out and glowing all freaky-like, then we all fell asleep when this weird voice came out of nowhere!"

"A voice?" Katara's eyebrows pinched in thought, until her tight features melted into realization. She whispered to her brother cautiously, "You heard that too? I thought it was just my imagination…"

"Nope. I definitely heard it too," Sokka then placed his fists on his hips and analyzed his surroundings once more in search of Aang. Yet the young avatar was still nowhere in sight, "this is seriously starting to give me the creeps. I'm just ready to wake up and get the hell out of here."

"I doubt this is a normal dream, Sokka…" Katara trailed off while staring at the empty space below her. She had a nagging feeling that her body was lowering, yet she truly couldn't tell since it seemed like she wasn't moving at all.

However, the siblings' feet suddenly leveled out and planted themselves onto a solid surface. They staggered for a moment, completely caught off guard by the return to solid land, before regaining balance and searching for any other changes.

They did find a change.

And it was Aang—who phased into existence before his two friends in the same fashion Katara had. Although his face expressed confusion as well, it was nowhere near as intense as the water tribe siblings' own. In fact, a hint of apology seemed to infect his face as well.

"Aang! W-where are we?" Katara stuttered while scouring her surroundings once again.

The monk scratched the back of his head sheepishly before replying, "um…about that, you see, we're actually in—"

"Hell?! It's hell, isn't it?! I knew it!" Sokka finished in a fit of panic, his eyes as wide as saucer plates.

A bead of sweat trailed down the side of Aang's head, "S-Sokka…we're not in hell…"

"Ah…oh," Sokka instantly regained his composure before clearing his throat awkwardly, "I-I knew that. I mean, there's nearly not enough fire for it to be hell and I'm practically an angel."

"Keep lying like that and you will go to hell, Sokka." Katara countered with a roll of her eyes, which earned a withering glare from her elder sibling. His chin sticking out like a caveman, Sokka then hissed behind clenched teeth.

"I'm taking you down with me, dammit."

"Calm down guys," Aang attempted to sooth the siblings' squabbling while raising his hands, "we're not in any kind of danger and we're not in hell. We're actually in…the Spirit World."

"_**In my personal sector of the Spirit World, to be specific."**_ A smooth voice corrected out of nowhere.

The water-tribe siblings jumped upon hearing the new presence while Aang simply nodded in agreement, "right, thank you. Katara, Sokka, I'd like to introduce you to…Love."

"L-love?" Katara croaked in disbelief.

"_**It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, my child,"**_ Love greeted softly before turning its attention to Sokka, whose complexion seemed to have turned ash white, _**"the same goes to you, Sokka. I hope you are not cross with me for placing you both in a slumber. Please know that I did so with upmost care and as gently as possible."**_

Sokka and his sister traded stares of enlightenment before he accused loudly, "So you were the voices in our head!"

"_**That is correct, my child."**_

"Love doesn't mean any harm, Sokka." Aang assured. Although the tribal boy narrowed his eyes in clear disbelief, he allowed his posture to relax a bit before adding hastily.

"I still got my eyes on you, buddy!"

"_**You are being cautious, it is only reasonable."**_ Love conceded, the amusement in its voice evident to the trio.

Locking her vision onto a random spot in the distance, Katara attempted to ask Love in the most level tone she could muster, "Why are we here?" Love's voice chimed with an underbelly of excitement and adoration; which baffled the water tribe siblings to no end.

"_**I have a request for you, your brother, and the Avatar."**_ Although Love did not have a physical presence, it was obvious that its next words were directed at Aang, _**"would you care to explain to your companions?"**_ Aang nodded before informing his friends.

"Love needs us to carry out an important mission since its unable interact with the real world. You see…" the monk's gaze was fixated to his feet as he organized the fresh information Love gave him, "Love is completely made up of the love spread throughout the world, whether it's from a marriage, friends, family, or animals. Love survives on all forms of this emotion. If a majority of the love in the world was lost, then the spirit itself would eventually die and that could throw everything into complete chaos. The natural balance would be disrupted."

"So what does that have to do with us?" Sokka interjected with a cocked eyebrow. Love decided to answer in place of the airbender.

"_**I have seen many loves in these past millenniums. Long and steadfast, passionate yet short, weak and timid, strong and overwhelming. There is a particular love that holds great significance for the survival of this world and I ask of you to help preserve it—"**_

"Hold up," Sokka interrupted, "we're supposed to play cupid now?!"

"_**More or less,"**_ Love chuckled serenely, _**"the love between these two individuals are quite a rare gem and my soul couldn't possible bear to watch it wither. This couple, along with your help, my children, have the potential to save the natural balance. For in the near future, a corrupted soul will bring death upon the love in this world and place it in jeopardy."**_

Aang continued from where Love left off, "Love told me that one of them is a man named Koda." As if the spirit had read Sokka and Katara's minds, their surroundings rippled.

Lush green pooled around the trio's feet and spread out nearly a mile in diameter. The plane dipped to form two hills before the wave soared above in a beautiful show of baby blue. Birds dotted the heavens and the sun, which bathed the grass in gentle beams, was positioned low in the sky. The familiar buzz of civilization could be heard in the background but it lacked a frantic rush to it. Instead, the clanging of a blacksmith's hammer could easily be distinguished from children playing in the streets, pedestrians trading pleasant greetings with their neighbors, and chicken dumplings sizzling in pans of the community scullery.

The Gaang turned around to find themselves face-to-face with a small village. Upon first glance, they instantly assumed it was composed of Fire Nation civilians due to their red clothing but then had second thoughts when a little boy halted to skim his surroundings before driving his heel into the dirt. A tiny pebble sprang from the ground and landed in his palm. He tossed the rock with a cheeky grin a few times before nailing another boy in the back of his head. The victim—who they assumed was a friend—yelped in surprise before chasing after the retreating earthbender, the duo cackling in youthful glee.

"That's odd..." Katara muttered thoughtfully while cupping her chin, "I thought the Fire Nation did everything in their power to make sure all of the earthbenders from small villages were taken away as prisoners."

"He's probably one of the lucky few that got away." Aang concluded in a subdued tone as his chest clenched in sorrow. Sokka and Katara wore equal expressions until their attention was drawn back to the two children.

"_Catch me if you can, slowpoke!"_ The young earthbender taunted happily as he sped towards a bakery shack.

"_We'll see who's slow!"_ His friend shot back as he steadily closed the distance between them. However, just as he was within reach, he tripped over his own feet and tumbled over—knocking down the earthbender with him. The boys landed in a heap of tangled limbs and boundless laughter. Their giggles continued to grow in laughter and, because of this, they failed to notice a large figure appear behind them with his beefy hands on his hips.

The new presence cracked a wide smile and chirped, _"Now how can you be an earthbender and practically have no center of gravity, Jin-Xu?"_

The male appeared to be in his late teens, his thick dark hair cloaked the rims of his emerald eyes—that characteristic undoubtedly piqued the Gaang's curiosity—a pale pink scar ran vertically across the side of his lips, and his body was noticeably more muscular than an average young adult. Despite his daunting features, everything about his demeanor emanated comfort and quirkiness. Perking up after noticing who spoke, Jin-Xu separated himself from his friend and leapt at the teen to embrace his waist, _"Koda!"_

Jin-Xu's companion rushed to hug Koda as well, his naturally rosy cheeks splitting with a toothy smile, _"Are you done working today, Koda? Can we play now?!"_

Suddenly, Koda frowned in apology and responded, _"Sorry guys, I'm heading to the village-doctor today. You know the drill, I gotta get that herbal tea for my mom…"_ The children instantly deflated upon hearing this and pouted. However, they then guffawed in surprise when the behemoth hefted them onto his shoulders and proclaimed at an obnoxious volume, _"First one to annoy the crap out of gets a free slice of cake!"_

The boys fist-pumped, _"Yeah!"_

Jin-Xu then asked eagerly, _"What kind, Koda?"_

"_Chocolate, obviously."_

"_Then what are we waiting for?! We're burning daylight people!"_

"_That's the spirit!"_ Koda laughed before jogging down a dirt path heading east. The village members could only chuckle at Koda's childish ways before returning to their peaceful lives.

"So that's Koda?" Katara asked distractedly as her thoughts raced. Realizing her contemplative features, Aang replied knowingly.

"You're wondering about the same thing, aren't you, Katara?"

"Those eyes…I've never seen a color like that before. What tribe do you think he's from? I mean, earthbenders and firebenders don't have that eye color."

"His skin is a bit tanner than everyone else's, so could he possibly be from the water tribe?" Aang pondered while shooting Katara a questioning look.

However, she shook her head, "He's tan but nowhere near our skin tone. And green eyes are literally unheard of in our tribe—in the whole world, period." Sokka, who didn't seem as frazzled about Koda's eyes, simply shrugged.

"What's the big deal? It's just his eyes. Maybe he was just born that way."

"So something genetic…like a disease or disorder? Yeah, I could believe that." With those final words, Katara decided to drop the subject and reaffirmed her focus onto the bigger picture, "so where do we go from here, Aang?"

In response, the monk looked up and asked, "Who is Koda in love with, Love?" Instead of answering with words, the setting changed again.

The Gaang now found themselves in a bedroom. Everything about the room, ranging from the carpet to the wallpaper to the bed sheets, were tinted varying shades of red. Instantly, the trio realized where they were and Sokka was the one to express their suspicions.

"Why're we in some Fire Nation person's room? I thought that Koda guy was from the Earth Kingdom—"

A shuffling noise from outside the window interrupted his words. Blue and grey eyes widened when Koda's beefy hand pushed the sill up and peeked his bushy dark head inside, checking to make sure the room was empty. Once he knew the coast was clear, he inched his large form through the opening and gracelessly tumbled inside. A female soon followed his league but her movements were far more refined, balanced, and agile than his. Apparently, Koda noticed since he pouted in jealousy at the girl.

"_Show off"_ He muttered grumpily.

In turn, the female rolled her amber eyes and scoffed. Crossing her arms pompously, her cherry red lips barely parted to counter the man, _"I never show off, you just show a lack of skill, Koda."_ Koda, Aang, Katara, and even Sokka sweat dropped at this as they simultaneously thought, _'harsh…'_

However, Koda surprised the trio with how quickly he brushed off the insult and jumped to his feet, _"I lack skills, huh?"_ He sauntered up to the girl, who remained as still as a rock and arched an elegant brow suspiciously. Before her mind could process the motion, Koda swooped her up into a bear hug and spun her around twice. Once she was planted back onto her feet, the tan male flashed a bright smile and cackled, _"I think your evaluation skills are lacking, my Beautiful Dragonfly. You felt lighter than a feather, you know—gah!"_ Koda must have been blessed by the Spirits because he dodged a blue flame aimed for his face just in the nick of time. Reeling from the scowling firebender, he slapped a hand over his racing heart and guffawed loudly.

"_Dear Agni, I think I saw Uncle Lu! And he's dead!"_

"_You'll be dead if you dare spin me like that again…"_ His female companion hissed lowly, her hands enshrouded in twin balls of cobalt fire. Despite her malicious demeanor, there was no denying the thin shade of pink tinting her cheeks. A lazy grin stretched across Koda's face.

"_Is that a threat or a promise, my Beautiful Dragonfly?"_

"_A promise, obviously!"_ She snapped back, only to swiftly suck in a huge gulp of air and clamp her mouth shut. Unfortunately, she was too slow to take her words back and the bulky male's smile widened as his emerald eyes twinkled happily.

"_Did you…"_

"_No, I didn't."_

"_Just use…"_

"_Shut up, if you know what's good for you—"_

"_My catch phrase?"_ Unable to stand the sight of his cheekiness, the female pivoted away from him and scowled. Exhaling smoke, she grumbled beneath her breath.

"_Wipe that dopey look off of your face, Koda."_ Since she wasn't facing him, Koda decided to retain his victorious smile and bowed mockingly. The playfulness seeping from his words were tangible.

"_As you wish, Your Highness~."_

Your Highness…

Koda just referred to the girl as Your Highness.

"Wait a minute," Sokka's disbelieving stare rivaled the astonishment rolling off of Aang and Katara, "Your Highness?! A-are you telling me this guy is in love…w-with…"

Simultaneously, realization settled over the Gaang and they couldn't believe they hadn't figured it out sooner. The Fire Nation girl's graceful movements, her superior attitude, her unique blue flames, and her exquisite clothes all made sense. There was only one logical answer as to who she was.

She was the Fire Nation princess—

The scenery changed.

But the alteration was far from its usual smooth transition. Since it was so sudden, the trio almost lost their footing when the surface beneath them jerked.

"H-hey!" Sokka yelped before shaking a fist to the space above him, "what was that for?!" However, his confidence dissipated when Love's voice cracked against the trio's eardrums.

"_**Enough"**_ Love neither shouted nor whispered but the disappointment emitting from its tone was overwhelming, _**"As long as you are in my sector of the Spirit World, I will not tolerate such ugly emotions in my presence. I sensed your heavy judgement of the princess immediately, despite the fact that I had already explained her role in saving the love of this world."**_ Love's words left the trio speechless as varying levels of shame begrudgingly infected their features. However, Aang, who just couldn't quite wrap his mind around this revelation, enquired lowly.

"I just don't understand, Love. How could Koda, a member of the Earth Kingdom, possibly fall in love with the Fire Nation princess?"

"_**One must learn patience to find the answers that they seek."**_ Love replied cryptically. Just as the young avatar was about to retort, he cut himself off as the spirit's presence vanished from the borders of his psyche. Sighing quietly, he then nearly jumped out of his skin when a familiar voice muttered curiously.

"_You know what? For some strange reason, you're nothing like what I thought you'd be like."_ The voice belonged to Koda.

In that instant, the Gaang remembered that they were transferred into a different scene. However, the only change seemed to be the time of day. An oil lamp was lit upon the dresser and the curtains were drawn closed, yet beams of moonlight managed to seep through. The rays illuminated a fraction of Koda's face—from the top of his right eyebrow to just below the scar on his lips. Unlike what the group had seen before, his face was completely void of childish energy. Instead, it was disturbingly empty. He sat upon the bed, his form hunched forward with his elbows resting on his knees. It was daunting how his other-worldly gaze shimmered yet remained locked onto the girl before him.

The princess, who was currently standing before a mirror and brushing her hair, hummed in disinterest, _"Oh really? And what exactly did you expect?"_

He played with the silk sheets as he whispered, _"Perfection or…maybe I should say, you guys acting like perfectionists."_ Due to the princess cutting a quick glance in his direction, Koda knew that he needed to further explain himself, _"I just figured that since you're royalty and everything, you guys would try to be the perfect family machine. You know, graceful and pretty wife, a stern Fire Lord as the husband, and then the two obedient kids. But…"_ By this point, the female took the opportunity to lower her brush and slowly face him—her features schooled into an indifferent frown. She stared as her lover studied his hands, his mind clearly struggling to conjure up an effective way to express his confession. _"It's nothing like that."_

"_So what kind of family are we then?"_

"_You guys are a mess."_ His features softened, _"just one big ole mess."_

The princess sat next to him. Her posture was as perfect as ever and her hair was now combed free of any tangles. The moonlight reflected off of her dark tresses and formed a soft halo around her crown. Yet, even as that angelic sight appeared, it was overpowered by the smug purse of her lips and the superior shine in her amber eyes. _"Well then,"_ she said, _"I assume you're a freak who has a fetish for messed up people?"_ Instead of replying with a snarky comeback, Koda smiled and answered sincerely.

"_You know what? Yeah, I do. At least, when it comes to you, anyways."_

"_Koda, watch your words more carefully because you're already assuming that __**I'm**__ a mess."_

"_I mean, when you showed up at my dad's bakery and made him, the biggest guy I know, almost wet his pants, I knew you weren't that stereotypical princess. You had some mess in ya—"_

"_I am not a mess, Koda!" _The princess hissed.

"_Whoever said being a mess was a bad thing?"_ Koda's voice gained a spark of life, a slither of force, and an inkling of hurt. Picking up on the sudden change of tone, the Fire Nation princess reeled back her annoyance and settled for facing him fully.

She now had his undivided attention.

"_Being perfect and normal…it's overrated."_ He said while tracing the scar on his bicep. _"Messed up people are messed up for a reason. They have a story, either crazy or tragic…they're the ones who truly lived and are alive to tell about it, you know? They challenge you, make you work to hear their story. And all that work is worth it. Someone like that, I'd want to be with them, no doubt. Not some blank slate."_ His head dipped, his scraggly hair casting jagged shadows over his eyes, _"Who could relate to a blank slate? No one could…not me—"_

"_Koda"_ Her voice jolted him from his trance. He remained frozen as his mind tried to comprehend when she had placed her hand on his knee. _"Are you saying that messed up people…"_ her tone wavered with a cautious accusation she only reserved for him, _"can only relate to __**other**__ messed up people?"_

He swallowed, feeling his lover's stare burning far more than her blue flames ever could. _"No…"_ he breathed.

The princess's grip on his knee tightened.

"_You're a really bad liar."_

"_I know." _He didn't say anymore after that.

And neither did she.

The Gaang was propelled from the scene and back into the white abyss.

The trio clearly had a lot on their minds. Katara and Aang were trading meaningful looks, trading a silent—albeit reluctant—understanding. Sokka, on the other hand, appeared so frazzled and conflicted that it was surprise he hadn't begun foaming at the mouth. The water tribe male just couldn't comprehend the idea of a Fire Nation princess and an Earth Kingdom peasant being in love. He buried his fingers in his wolf-tail and released a long groan.

"Gahhhhh! I just can't handle this! It's freakin' impossible! She's _**Fire Nation**_!"

Katara jumped in before her brother could crumble into a meltdown.

"Sokka, get a grip already!" She sighed before continuing, "Look, I can understand where you're coming from but you heard what Love said, it's depending on us to save their relationship and the entire world. We have no choice!"

Sokka crossed his arms and pouted stubbornly. He obviously wasn't convinced but he admitted defeat, "fine…but bringing down the Fire Lord is still top priority." He grumbled.

Standing off to the side, Aang was too submerged into his thoughts to register their conversation. That last interaction between Koda and the princess was significant. The siblings may not have noticed but the monk surely did. _'The emotion was so intense,'_ he thought, _'I could tell…they really trust each other. It's real. What they have is really real.'_ Although he was just as bewildered by the outlandish pair as his friends were, the airbender placed his faith in Love.

Looking skywards, Aang claimed, "We understand now, Love. We'll do the best we can to help them. We promise!" Warm pulsed through the trio's veins, alerting them to how pleased Love was with their cooperation.

"_**Your best is all that I can ask for, my children. Thank you. Now…return to reality and complete your mission. Save the love in this world before it's too late."**_

-XXX-

Aang jolted awake with a sharp gasp.

He saw nothing but torches dotting darkness. He palmed the surface beneath him. His suspicions were confirmed when he grasped a handful of dirt. They were still in the cave. Two groans emitted from either side of him and he just now realized that the siblings were lying beside him. Sokka slowly propped himself up on his elbows and yawned.

"I have to say…" Katara began while rubbing her eyes, "that was probably the best nap I've had. I've never woken up this refreshed before."

"Same" Sokka chimed in slight awe. Aang grinned and nodded in agreement, as he experiencing the same feeling.

"I'm sure that's Love's doing. It wanted us to be as comfortable as possible." Aang reasoned. Taking a moment to stretch and gather their wits, the trio quickly realized their current predicament.

"Wait…we're still lost in here!" Sokka yelled angrily. "Hey, Aang! Call back Love and tell it get us out of here!"

Aang sweat dropped, "I-it doesn't work that way Sokka…"

"Idiot." Katara huffed while pinching the bridge of her nose.

However, in the midst of Sokka's complaining, soft strumming reached their ears—familiar strumming.

_**Chong's**_ strumming.

"Chong?" Katara uttered in surprise before snapping out of her daze and shouting, "Chong! Are you there?! Chong!"

"Is that you, Master Arrowhead's friend? We're over here!" Chong and the other nomad's voices echoed down the tunnel but it sounded like they didn't travel very far.

They were close.

Without another word, the trio sprinted ahead and immediately saw the musical group come into view. Once they were face to lazy-grinning-face, Sokka gripped Chong by the collar of his robe and begged.

"Meat! Please tell me you have _**meat**_! I'm _**starving**_!"

"Uh," Chong shrugged sheepishly, "I'm a vegetarian. Sorry." Sokka retracted from him as if he was burned. His lips twitched in disgust as he hissed.

"How can you live with yourself?"

"Sokka, not now!" Katara scolded.

"Sorry we don't have any meat for ya, but…" Chong pointed behind him and smiled victoriously, "we found a way out of the tunnel! Isn't that great?"

Sokka ran for the exit before anyone could blink, his rabid cheering fading as he disappeared.

"Freedom!"

"Sokka, wait up! Don't leave us behind!" Katara wailed. She snagged Aang by the wrist, undoubtedly catching the monk by surprise, and proceeded to chase after her brother. Due to the fact that too much blood was rushing to his cheeks and preventing him from speaking, the airbender simply allowed her to tug him along.

Chong chuckled at the sight while playing random notes on his instrument. He turned back to face his fellow nomads and stated casually, "those three are really something else."

His eyes then glowed a dull blue—the other nomads' eyes doing the same as they smiled back.

"They'll save the love in this world. _**I just know it**_." Their collective bodies became enshrouded in illumination and joined into a single ball of radiance before rocketing to the cave ceiling. Before it made contact with rubble, it dissipated, thinning into wisps that were carried away by absent wind. Only a gentle whisper hung in the air.

"_**I wish you success, my children..."**_

* * *

**Author's note: **Alrighty then! That's a wrap! Did ya like that little twist I put at the end? Hmmmmmm~?

I'm so happy I was able to update, I can only hope you all won't be too angry with me for the long wait and are still following this story. If not, then I totally understand, if you still do, you deserve a virtual hug, lol! Anyways, hope you enjoyed! I'll get back to beautiful readers and writers later!

Oh! And also, please...

CLICK THE REVIEW BUTTON. -_-


	8. I hate her

**Author's Note**: Never thought I'd get around to finishing this chapter. I've just been having this in my word documents, half finished and begging to be completed. So I wrote the rest of it in one night, lol! Anyways, sorry for the super long wait. Hope you guys enjoy this chapter!

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender or any of its characters.

Enjoy! =)

* * *

Jagged nails pierced his flesh and dragged across his arms, crimson rivulets beading upon his skin like sprouting weeds. The streams merged and crossed until they formed bloody hexagons, octagons, pentagons—all twisted shapes of all twisted forms. His scream of agony was caught in his throat, a wall of betrayal and helplessness blockading his voice.

"W-why are you doing this?" he whimpered as hot tears pooled down his cheeks. His eyes pleaded with the woman before him and searched the depths of her insane glare. He voyaged into the deepest center of her pupils yet they lacked familiarity.

They lacked warmth.

They lacked love.

She hovered over him, allowing a sickening grin to stretch her face before digging her fingers deeper. Again, his howl of pain went unspoken; only whimpers and pleas shook the atmosphere around them.

The air was so lifeless and empty, even oxygen seemed like a gem to his lungs; it was a delicacy that the twin organs within his pounding chest craved to taste. His heart was hammering, so much so that he feared the muscle would gallop away, exiting through his ribs and leaving a gaping hole behind.

"No more! N-no more!"

Paying no heed to his words, the woman yanked him forward by his swelling flesh. His thick form unwillingly melded into hers and his head rested on her shoulder, unable to stand the sight of her crazed smile. When she spoke, her breath was warm, like a cloud of smoke that was wafting against his ear.

"Don't worry, my little one," she whispered, "the pain won't last long. I promise."

Koda lurched forward and released a guttural yell of despair, "Stop!"

He paused…

Then his shoulders slumped, relieved once he recognized the feel of sheets surrounding his legs. However, he grimaced when the soreness of his burns returned with a vengeance. Doing so as gently and slowly as possible, he reclined onto his side. Even in darkness, his hand instantly recognized the familiar dip of his lover's waist. His arms encircled her from behind and he burrowed his nose into her hair, indulging in the comfort her scent brought him. It was a beautiful mixture of apples, spice, and smoke; he would trade this smell for air if his body allowed it.

However, before he drifted back to sleep, he felt Azula turn in his embrace. Her amber gaze sliced through the darkness and into his soul, not that the action would take much effort; Koda's deepest core was always open to her.

"Which one was it this time?" she asked, her voice flat as she traced one of the many scars decorating Koda's body. Her tone didn't fool the ex-prisoner, however, as he knew what swirled behind those hypnotizing golden eyes.

Sympathy, sadness, anger—the last one burned especially bright.

"My arms," Koda answered. "She was dragging her nails down my arms again. She said…she told me not to worry. She said the pain won't last long." At this point, the princess was running her palm along his shoulder, exploring the old yet tender scars there. They were jagged and branched out in wild directions, just as that woman's nails had done.

"I hate her," Koda hissed, his voice tremoring with a rage that rarely escaped its cage. The emotion was like a rabid, malnourished tiger; the animal had once been a mighty, overbearing force that demanded obedience. Now, after years of repression, after years of rotting behind metal bars, it had weakened.

But it only weakened in that aspect—the frequency in which it appeared or the control it had over him.

But it only grew in another aspect—the intensity behind it was unsettling, almost inhuman. Its power equaled that of a solar flare, an earth-shattering force that blew its surroundings to ashes.

But it was something that few eyes saw.

Azula paused her motions, thoughts waging war in her mind. Her gaze became calculative but also weary; her response to his words was crucial.

Should she tell him that it wasn't true, that he didn't hate her? That what he felt was only an ugly manifestation of old wounds?

Or should she tell him the truth? That, yes, he should hate her. He should hate her with every fiber of his being because she deserved it. Her deeds were unforgiveable and sickening.

Azula sighed—this was a topic she could never settle on. Besides, how could she explain to Koda the art of forgiveness when she hadn't mastered it herself?

"I know."

She decided to do neither.

Her touch was feather-like. Koda shivered as those dangerous hands caressed him so gently, following the rippling of muscles beneath olive skin. Finally, her palm came to rest on his cheek and her thumb skimmed the scar across his parted lips.

"Sleep, Koda." Her voice seeped into his body, cradling his thoughts with a honey made solely for his peace. She repeated these two words like a mantra, lulling the man until his heartrate was soothed and his breathing slowed. As Azula's voice diminished to a soft whisper, Koda's eyes fluttered closed.

The words tumbled from his lips like muscle memory.

"I hate her…"

-XXX-

"Land ho!" Ty Lee yelled as she threw arms out, almost as if she was attempting to hug the sky. A coastline could vaguely be seen in the distance; rows of brown dots were soon becoming docks as they grew closer. The acrobat was so filled with excitement—clearly because she was about meet Mai—that she didn't realize Koda was snickering in the background.

The dark-haired man was on the deck, leaning against the rails on the east side of the ship as he openly laughed at Ty Lee's exuberance. It was always refreshing when he met an individual as childish as he was. People who still enjoyed the simple wonders of life were hard to come by, especially with the effects of war staining the collective hearts of society. Numbers couldn't describe how many times Koda saw wives shuffle into his father's shop, ordering their husband's favorite pastry. At first glance, it was a sweet thought. However, once their visits occurred daily and the light in their eyes began to dim, he understood how much they were suffering. Some were widows, caught in the web of denial, incapable of accepting the fact that their loves died in battle, while others were well-aware of sharing the same fate sometime soon.

"She's a good person, you know?" Koda said as he turned to Azula. The princess stood next to him, her arms folded rigidly behind her back and wearing a cool mask of indifference. She cut a glance at him before replying.

"In a sense, I suppose you're right."

"The sense I'm talking about is that she looks at the little things," Koda clarified. "Wanna know something neat? Ty Lee and I talked a little before you came up." This earned a reaction out of Azula, although it was something as little as an arch of her eyebrow.

"Oh, really? And what exactly did you two talk about?" Koda didn't know whether that was jealousy, suspicion, or pure curiosity swimming in his lover's tone; more than likely, it was all three. He almost smiled but then crushed the feeling upon remembering that he wasn't supposed to enjoy her company in public.

"She asked about you," he said. "She wanted to know if you slept okay. Apparently, she remembered how you used to get really sea sick." This time, he did next to nothing to restrain the mischief infecting his features. The grin upon his scarred face was impish yet infuriatingly lovable. Azula chose to study the sea, refusing to acknowledge the magnetism of his playful smiles.

"So what of it?" she seethed behind clenched teeth.

"Don't even try to hide it, my beautiful dragonfly. Ty Lee has always been your friend and cared about you. She still does after all this time. That's someone worth keeping around."

Azula had no response.

Instead, her eyes continued to roam the sea, as if its depths held the answer to the universe or, at the very least, held the answers to the questions storming her mind.

Ty Lee had really asked him that?

She remembered that about Azula? Even from such a long time ago?

What else did she remember about Azula?

Why hadn't she asked Azula herself instead of going straight to Koda?

Didn't Ty Lee also use to suffer from sea sickness?

The princess's diaphragm lurched. That's right, Ty Lee had sea sickness worse than she did; it had been borderline severe.

Azula could still remember the day she and Mai had found out. The trio of girls were taking a fishing trip on a boat owned by Mai's parents, cruising a decent distance away from shore. The Fire Nation princess remembered holding onto the rails for dear life, scrunching her eyes closed until she swore her eyelids bleed, and focusing on her breathing as much as possible. Her stomach had done somersaults as the boat gently swayed from side to side.

However, through the smog of nausea, she noticed that Ty Lee was not located on the front deck. She had heard the distant sound of heaving and curiously followed the noise on shaky legs. She had been shocked to find her flexible friend hanging over the edge, tears running down her face and falling to the ocean, as she emptied the contents of her stomach. Mai soon arrived as well, eyeing their sick friend warily. Ty Lee had been in clear pain yet, as she turned around to acknowledge the girls, she slapped on a smile and said that she was fine.

The image of her bloodshot eyes and sugary smile was forever fossilized into Azula's memory.

So, it was only natural for Azula to feel as confused as she was. Why would Ty Lee worry about the princess, when the acrobat needed to worry about herself first? She was pulled from her thoughts when rough fingers intertwined with her own.

"Come back to me, my beautiful dragonfly," Koda said, his voice wistful and soft. "You're flying off just a little too far." Initially, the man deflated when Azula pulled out of his grasp but then he saw a group of guards walk by, each one giving the princess a bow as they passed. However, before the last guard could disappear around the corner, Azula called out to him.

"You, the one in the back, come here." He tensed for a millisecond before automatically turning on his heels and strutting up to her. Dropping to one knee and pressing a hand over his heart, he asked in a deep, gravelly voice.

"Yes, your Highness?"

"Go downstairs and tell the cooks to make some ginger tea for Ty Lee."

Although the man was wearing a helmet, she could see him blink in confusion. Nonetheless, he complied and shot to his feet.

"Yes, your Highness. Right away."

As Azula watched the guard fulfill her orders, the hairs on the back of her neck prickled.

"I know you're looking at me with that stupid smile, Koda…" she growled while shooting a glare over her shoulder. His smile as wide and dopey as ever, Koda simply shrugged and said knowingly.

"Oh, don't mind little old me over here. Just watching as your soft side rears its beautiful head—"

"Stop talking, now," Azula huffed before returning to her spot next to him. However, the agitation didn't last long. In its place, light contemplation bloomed across her countenance.

"It's impressive, really…she hid her sickness for this long."

"You're telling me," Koda breathed. "She's a tough cookie!"

It was rare for Fire Nation civilians to never experience sea sickness, it was even rarer for them to grow out of it.

Azula was an exception because her father had literally beaten the tolerance into her. Each time she puked, she was punished, given a day or so to heal, and then placed back onto the boat. She would puke again, the cycle would repeat.

Fire Nation soldiers were an exception because they spent nearly half of their lives at sea. They were constantly sent out to pillage villages or commence in handicap battles—the enemies were obviously handicapped in each situation based on numbers and technological advancement.

As for Koda, Azula truly had no idea why he was an exception. Among many guesses, she assumed that it was just part of his unusual character. The man was far from normal, both physically and personality-wise.

Koda timidly tip-toed his fingers along the rail towards Azula; his hand looked like a tiny man shyly approaching a pretty, aloof girl. The corner of her lips twitched, a sign that she was smirking on the inside, before she faced her palm upward and gave Koda permission to hold her hand. Koda's eyes lit up like a child on Christmas morning upon noticing this and eagerly reunited his hand with hers. Taking a moment to analyze his surroundings, he then brought up their connected hands and kissed Azula's knuckles. He took care to press his lips to all five of them, never once tearing his gaze away from the princess's face.

Azula looked the other way, trying to hide the pink tinting her cheeks. However, instead of capitalizing on her embarrassment, Koda said.

"Thank you, you know…for last night." The ex-prisoner's voice became flat, emotionless. The lack of emotion beckoned Azula's full attention, who only found it in herself to nod.

"Don't mention it." Her word choice was lame, she knew this, but Koda's moments of bland stares and affectionate strokes were unsettling. In his touches, she could feel his love pulsating—roaring—but, in his face, the sentiment was lost. It was annoying to admit but Koda was an enigma that she had yet to solve. Through time, she was able to mend a few pieces, fit a few fragments together and gain a somewhat clearer view, but the puzzle was far from complete.

Koda halted his actions once the ports came within a mile of reach. He hesitated to let go of her hand but he did; his pouting almost provoked an amused snort out of the princess. Perhaps more relieved than amused because, like a switch, he expressed emotion once again.

It seemed that Koda had let go just in time, as Ty Lee came barreling in their direction with the sunniest smile the ex-prisoner had ever seen. However, Ty Lee didn't slow down as she came closer and Koda's smile gained a twinge of fear. Unlike Azula, he couldn't move out of the way in time to dodge Ty Lee as she pounced and captured him in a death hug.

Dear Agni almighty, his burns did **_not_** appreciate this!

"T-Ty Lee…" Koda wheezed. Unfortunately, his desperation did not click in the acrobat's mind and she responded by tightening her grip.

"I'm sooooo excited! I can't wait for you to meet Mai, Koda!"

Koda began to see a white light.

"P-please…Ty Lee, my burns—"

"I mean, she might be a little bit of a downer and her aura's pretty gray and boring but she's actually **_super_** nice once you get to know her!"

Koda then commenced to rapidly tap the girl's shoulder, a sign of submission.

Agni had blessed him in that moment because Ty Lee finally took notice of Koda's pale complexion and the bandages crinkling beneath her arms. Smiling sheepishly, she released the poor man, watching as he unceremoniously fell to the ground with a groan.

"S-sorry about that, Koda…" she said while kicking at air. She looked like a child whose hand was caught in the cookie jar. Even with a million volts of pain rocketing through his body, Koda showed immense will power by smiling up at the acrobat.

"D-don't worry about it, T-Ty Lee." He then craned his neck to look at Azula, who was pivoted away from the scene, her shoulders shaking suspiciously.

Koda pouted. "N-not funny."

His head fell back to the deck, making a solid thudding sound.

"I think I saw Uncle Lu again…and he's dead!"

-XXX-

Koda watched in fascination as the guards lowered the cross-bridge, the slab of wood gently colliding with the port. His emerald gaze glistened and attentively took in the mechanics of the ship, from the gears twirling in opposite directions to the pulleys being pulled by the men. Although he wasn't completely sheltered, the life of a baker's son never placed him in the presence of such sophisticated technology. Against his own accord, he had ventured away from Azula's side to have a closer look, only to be rudely swatted away by one of the guards.

"Back up, slave! I don't need any of your dirt staining my armor—"

"Is there a problem?"

The guard froze, the venom in Azula's voice throwing a bucket of ice water down his spine. Koda settled for slowly inching away from the scene, a hybrid of guilt and "Ha, in your face!" blossoming in his gut.

"Y-your Highness," the guard said while falling to one knee, "I was just putting this lowly slave back in his place—"

"His place is none of your concern…" Azula's voice was pompous, dominant, nothing outside of the usual. However, it was the blue flames erupting from her hands that made the guard's innards quiver. His wide, fearful gaze glued to the deck, he continued to defend himself in a weak whisper.

"M-my deepest apologies, your Highness. I only meant t-to assist you."

"Assist me?" Azula cocked her head to the side, her full lips pinched together thoughtfully. Golden eyes narrowing, she then commenced to double the size of her cobalt flames and hissed with a sudden, mighty dose of fury, "I can handle him on my own. **_Just. Fine_**!" As if his bones had been ripped from his body, the guard all but collapsed into himself. Both knees and his forehead were kissing the floor, and his arms were stretched to their full length, almost as if he was reaching for mercy.

"O-o-of course, your Highness! P-please forgive me!"

"Apologize to" _'Koda',_ was what Azula had almost said. Luckily, she ceased her tongue before it was too late and finished her statement with, "my time, you ignorant worm! Because you're wasting it! Now get out of my sight before I burn a hole through your head!" The guard didn't need any further incentive. With trembling legs, he bowed before practically sprinting to the other side of the ship, more than likely struggling to control his bladder.

Extinguishing her fire with a huff, Azula then turned her narrowing gaze at Koda. The man in question offered a timid wave, lop-sided grin gracing his tan features.

"How come I can't take my eyes off of you for two seconds?" The words left her as a hidden threat rather than a question.

Picking up on this, Koda wisely stood next to her and answered as seriously as his personality could allow, "I just saw the super awesome gears and I kinda wanted to touch them."

So, in others, not seriously at all.

Azula pinched the bridge of her nose.

"It's impossible how busy-bodied you are…"

Flashing an impish grin, Koda inconspicuously bumped his hip with Azula's and said, "Speaking of getting busy with our bodies, it sure has been a long time since we've—"

"Finish that sentence and you'll regret it." Azula warned as blood slowly rushed to her cheeks. Koda obeyed and shut his mouth, although the triumph emitting from him was palpable. The princess huffed. His cockiness could be downright sickening at times; the sudden hunger in his eyes didn't help to assuage the thumping in her chest either. Sucking her lips in her mouth, she settled for speaking with actions and shoved Koda forward, a sign for him to hurry up and walk onto land.

Nonetheless, Koda was not perturbed by this and strutted down the docking plank. He tossed a glance over his shoulder, delivering the firebending prodigy another smoldering look.

Azula crossed her arms and followed behind him. _'Like I'm going to fall for that dopey look!'_ she hissed mentally. She refused to do what Koda wanted and simply lay on her back just because he made a few sexual innuendos. Anyone could do that…

…Well, doing so and living afterwards was a different story…but still, Azula held firm.

It wasn't as if she didn't miss being intimate with Koda—she definitely did, especially after going through a month of beating her head in and trying to release him from prison.

However, it all boiled down to her pride.

Koda would always assume that she'd eagerly follow him to the bedroom and then cuddle beneath the sheets as they basked in afterglow. Azula's spine shivered in disgust just thinking about how corny that would appear.

She was not corny.

She was the Fire Nation princess.

She was a warrior, goddammit, and warriors had enough sense to control their hormones!

In that moment, Azula happened to glance down. It was a tick really, nothing more than an unconscious movement of her pupils. They landed on Koda's wide back, his muscles almost wearing the fabric of his shirt like a second skin. Her gaze traveled a little lower.

His hands were casually shoved into his pockets. This caused his pants to stretch across the back, giving Azula a perfect view of his chiseled butt—

Azula choked on air before snapping her vision upwards. Her innards burned in a mixture of rage, embarrassment, and, well, hormones. _'I am a warrior, I have control. I am a warrior, I have control…'_ she repeated this like a mantra as she passed Koda, failing to realize that her walking pace had sped up drastically.

Koda halted where he stood, staring owlishly as his lover practically sprint-walked in the direction of Mai's residence. Ty Lee bounded up next to him, also staring questioningly at the frazzled princess. She turned to Koda and asked innocently, "Does this mean she's excited to see Mai again, too?"

Koda shrugged and offered a goofy grin, "By this point, I've learned that asking questions are too boring. Just leads to more questions, ya know? So I just go with the flow."

"Oh…that is true!" Ty Lee gushed as if she was speaking with a brilliant philosopher. Before Koda had a chance to bask in her praise, she grabbed a hold of his arm and began dragging the man along. "We better hurry! At this rate, Azula's gonna leave us behind!"

Koda smirked. "And forget her favorite sex slave? No way!"

"You seem really proud of that title…" If Ty Lee's tone swam with suspicion, then there was surely a flying pig on the horizon. However, Koda brushed this phenomenon aside and responded with his signature phrase.

"Obviously!"

-XXX-

Koda gulped.

He, Azula, Ty Lee, and Mai were located in the gloomy girl's den. By normal standards, the room was three times the size of his father's bakery. If it wasn't for the ominous feeling rolling off of Mai and slowly suffocating him, Koda would be bouncing around the place and gawking at every shiny object. He couldn't be blamed for his restrained excitement though, as this was the first time he had been inside a part of a palace besides the bedroom.

Mai was seated in a loveseat of her own, while Koda and Azula shared a rather large couch. There was plenty of room for Ty Lee next to Koda but the acrobat had preferred to sit on the floor with her legs crossed. Mai folded her legs rigidly as she shot Azula a flat look.

"So, what brings you to my humble abode, Azula?" The sarcasm was literally oozing from her voice. If it wasn't for the stealthy animosity thrown his way, Koda would have instantly liked her sense of dry humor.

Something deep, _**deep** _in his gut told him that Mai didn't like him. He always had a talent for gauging people's opinions about him.

For example, he was well aware that Azula found him annoying on that fateful day they met. However, he also had a hunch that he had managed to make a nick in the armor surrounding her heart. His father never understood Koda's feelings for the princess—there were times when the baker called him a masochist—but he ignored the discouragement. Sometimes, in those little golden moments, Azula's eyes would soften, even as she spoke in a supposedly harsh way. Her blood red lips would harden into a straight line, struggling to suppress a ghost of a smile. It was the minute details that Koda specialized in detecting and using to uncover individuals' emotions.

Then again, Mai's blank yet somehow chilling glares didn't need much analyzing on Koda's part.

Appearing very much like a child on his first day of kindergarten, Koda scooched closer to Azula until their thighs were pressed together. He then ducked his head like a chastised puppy, attempting to avoid eye contact.

The ridiculous sight forced a giggle out of Ty Lee while Azula merely rolled her eyes.

"And what, Agni forbid, do you think you're doing, Koda?" Azula asked. Koda pointed at Mai.

"She's totally out to kill me! I can feel it!"

"No one's trying to kill you, idiot…" Azula sighed while pinching the bridge of her nose. Mai, who had remained silent during the entire altercation, arched an eyebrow.

"Trust me, if I wanted to kill you, a dagger would be buried in between your eyes by now."

Koda paled.

"See~? There's nothing to worry about, Koda!" Ty Lee said while patting Koda's knee.

"Y-yeah, I can sleep peacefully tonight…" he whispered gravely.

"His pitifulness pushed aside," Azula began, "I'm presenting you an interesting offer."

"Do tell…" Mai drawled. Koda pouted—her sarcasm was so beautifully timed! Why did she have to hate him?!

"Father has given me the honor of capturing the Avatar since Zuzu was clearly unqualified to do so." Koda could've sworn he caught a flicker in Mai's expression but the moment was fleeting; he assumed it was just a figment of his imagination. "Thus, I'm requesting your services."

"Looks like you've got enough services to me." Mai pointedly looked at Koda. Although Azula retained a calm demeanor, Koda had no qualms about giggling at the jab. He nudged the Fire Nation princess and said.

"Haha! Hey, she's got you…there…um…" he realized upon receiving an icy glare from his lover. The towering ceiling suddenly became intensely interesting. "I'm gonna shut up now."

"Wise choice," Azula grumbled. She cleared her throat before continuing, "It's to my understanding that you're terribly bored here. Then why not join me?" Mai held up her hands, pretending to weigh her options.

"Let's see, on one hand, I could fill in as your third mindless tool." Her left hand dipped a bit. "On the other, I could stay here and die from pure boredom." Her hands were on equal ground. However, her left hand suddenly dropped until her arm flopped. "But, then again, sailing around the world and stabbing strangers sounds just a little bit more entertaining…" Azula revealed a haughty grin.

"Is that a yes?"

"It's an 'I've got nothing to lose'," Mai muttered.

"Excellent," Azula said before reclining into a slightly more comfortable position. "Now that I have the both of you rounded up, let's discuss the details of our mission. Koda." Koda suddenly snapped to attention at the sound of his name, his emerald eyes staring curiously at the princess.

"Yeah, my beau—your Highness?"

Close—way too close. Referring Azula formally while in public was beyond challenging for Koda. Ignoring his slip-up, the princess waved him off dismissively.

"Go entertain yourself somewhere else in the palace while we talk. Just don't get lost, it'd be too troublesome to find another sex slave." Koda's form deflated, somewhat hurt at the fact that Azula didn't want him around. Nonetheless, he had a role to play, so he erased the disappointment from his features and silently complied. His ears detected the sound of their conversation picking up again once he stepped out into the halls.

Arms crossed and bottom lip jutted out, the large man resorted to grumbling under his breath while walking at a casual pace.

"Not fair…sending me away like some dog…so what if I'm supposed to be a slave…completely uncalled for…I didn't wanna listen to their boring conversation anyways…wait." Amidst his quiet tantrum, the situation finally clicked in his head.

Azula wasn't being rude to him, she was helping him.

She indirectly sent him away from Mai, who was making him feel incredibly uncomfortable. The princess also must have noticed how much he longed to tour the palace and gawk at everything; this was his opportunity to indulge in that wish.

A toothy grin stretched across Koda's scarred face.

"I've got the best girlfriend in the whole freaking world~" he said joyfully. Faster than a bullet, he pounced on every breathtaking tapestry, gleaming vase, towering statue, and sparkling ruby that caught his eye. He witnessed more riches in ten minutes than any peasant could ever hope to see in their entire lifetime.

"Ohhh, wait until dad hears about this!" Koda said gleefully. Another fancy statue landed in his line of vision; however, before he go over to praise its beauty, a muffled sound held him in place. It sounded like a chain of soft sobs—infant sobs. He twirled about curiously, wondering where the noise was coming from, before he noticed a room at the end of the hall. The door was slightly ajar and it seemed that the crying originated from there.

Naturally, Koda had a soft spot for children, especially ones that were depressed. He believed that no child should ever have to experience negative emotions—well, tantrums were an exception—so he always did what he could to cheer them up. Goofy faces, silly antics, talking in weird voices, the sky was the limit.

His bandaged head peeked in, checking to see if anyone else was in the room. Just as he thought, only the baby was present, wailing and tossing about in his cradle fitfully. A small turf of black hair rested on his large head, his round cheeks were tinted red with frustration, and his amber eyes were overflowing with tears. A little blanket was tangled around his legs, slightly hindering the child's movements. Koda slowly entered and stood over the infant, smiling tenderly down at him.

"Hey, little guy," he whispered.

The new voice startled the child, causing him to choke on a sob and gurgle in surprise. Wide, watery eyes stared questioningly at Koda, raking the man from head to upper chest. Koda's smile dimmed a bit at the sight of this; he had a feeling his banged up appearance would perplex the infant. He fiddled with the gauze wrapped around his head.

"Yeah, I know. I look weird, huh?" Of course, the baby had no idea what he was saying yet he responded by cocking his head to the side.

"Da?"

"Hey, don't rub it in! Geez!" Koda tugged at his gauze again. "I happened to be super handsome before this. I had the ladies lining up to see me!" By this point, a cocky smile had graced Koda's features, his soft emerald eyes glistening.

A moment of silence…

"Da da, ba!" The baby suddenly gushed while reaching out to Koda with a gummy smile. Koda had almost picked him up but then his common sense kicked in. It would be rude to hold another person's child without permission. Technically, he already breached privacy rules by entering the room but still…

He settled for freeing the baby's legs from the blankets. The little one was probably crying earlier because he was trapped in the cloth and overheating—that, and he may have been lonely.

"There ya go, little guy!" Before Koda could pull away, a pair of tiny hands latched onto his own and pulled them up to innocent eyes. The infant studied his hand with wonder, staring especially hard at the multitude of scars.

"Da boo! Boo boo!"

"Yeah," Koda chuckled, "I've got a bunch of boo boos…" He patiently allowed the baby to poke and rub the scars, to squeeze and prod the padding of his palm, to toss around the weight of his arm like some kind of toy. Finally, Koda gently prodded himself out of the baby's grasp and took a step back. "I gotta go now, okay?"

"Da ba ba ba! Da!" the baby yelled while crawling towards the cradle bars. He raised a stubby arm, clearly wanting to reach out and pull on Koda's hand again. Tears were already begin to build up in his eyes but the ex-prisoner relented. The man inhaled, steeling his gut despite all of the guilt squirming inside of it, and turned around.

"Be good, okay?" This was supposed to be his parting line yet, when he was a mere step away from the door, he heard rapid creaking followed by a soft thump. He turned around.

"What was—…?"

Koda was left speechless.

The baby stared back at him, looking quite comfortable sitting in the chair next to his cradle.

"Da!"

"H-how did you get…" Koda trailed off in clear bafflement. If he had to guess, the baby must have crawled out of his cradle and landed on the chair. But there was no way a toddler could be coordinated enough to achieve such a feat…

Right?

Apparently, this child was a special exception.

Koda's jaw dropped even further when the baby threw his legs over the edge, fisted grasp secure on the chair cushion, before dropping a short distance to the carpet. He then eagerly crawled up to Koda and yelled out in a strange call of triumph.

"Daaa~!"

Koda froze, his scarred face completely blank.

A beat of silence.

Two more beats of silence.

Koda kneeled down to face the baby.

"You…"

Another beat of silence.

"Are one awesome baby!"

The baby giggled while yanking on Koda's hand.

-XXX-

"What're you doing with Tom Tom?" Mai demanded while crossing her arms coolly. Of all the things she expected out of this idiotic newcomer, returning with her little brother practically clinging to his torso was not one of them.

"What? Koda Junior likes me," Koda defended.

"His name is Tom Tom…"

Ah, the animosity has returned…

Koda gulped again.

"T-take it easy. I just h-happened to hear him crying and he was all alone and tangled up in his blanket so I went to help him but then he looked at me like some kinda walking zombie since I got bandages all over me so I got all offended like "you don't know me bro, these are battle wounds" but he actually just wanted to touch my scars so next thing I know he's holding my hand and it was so freaking cute but then I tried to leave and he turned into a ninja baby and got out of the cradle and it was so freaking cool I just had to adopt him!"

"…"

Koda swallowed huge gulps of air until the blue faded from his face. Upon regaining his breath, he garnered a nice variety of reactions from the three girls.

Mai's face was still stony with irritation; her eyebrow was even twitching.

Ty Lee was cooing at the adorable bond Koda and the baby had formed.

Azula…well, her face was an unusual muddle between annoyance and carefully veiled amusement. Besides, it wasn't every day the princess could witness Mai become agitated so quickly. None of the prodigy's sharp banter could come close to evoking a reaction like that out of her. The ice floating about in the atmosphere was broken when Tom Tom pushed together Koda's cheeks, forcing the man to make an ugly face.

"Ba ba daaa~!"

"Give him to me, now," Mai ordered while holding her arms out. Koda grudgingly obeyed, although it was a struggle since Tom Tom was holding onto him for dear life. Once he was in Mai's arms, tears were already streaming down his flushed cheeks. It wasn't a moment later that the child broke out into a crying fit while flailing his arms in Koda's direction.

"Awww! Tom Tom misses Koda~!" Ty Lee gushed while squealing. "That's so cuuuuuute!"

"Just give him back to the slave. His crying is making my ears ring," Azula growled impatiently. Huffing in defeat, she handed Tom Tom over to Koda.

"Fine. Not like I care." Nothing about the gloomy girl's demeanor betrayed her words but Koda knew it was a lie. His intuition told him that Tom Tom's behavior may have plucked one of her sour heartstrings. The ex-prisoner smiled apologetically at the aloof knife-thrower.

"Sorry about this…" he said while unconsciously bouncing Tom Tom in his arms, succeeding in slowly soothing the child's cries.

"Whatever," Mai replied dismissively before turning her attention back to Azula, "when are we leaving?"

Koda winced at the cold response. His deduction was wrong.

Mai didn't dislike him.

She downright hated him.

Koda sighed, _'so much for making friends…'_

_-XXX-_

_The little girl's heart was racing._

_At first, she was afraid the organ would pop out of her chest but the thought was cast aside when her stomach growled. She curled into herself and cradled her abdomen. She whimpered. Running away from that armadillo dog expended most of her precious energy and now hunger was begin to creep up on her. Actually, it didn't creep up on her, it crashed into her like a tsunami. Sharp hunger pangs struck her in five second intervals; if she didn't find a morsel to eat soon, she would be reduced to a mess of painful groaning._

_She crawled out of the alley and scoured her surroundings. There were barely any pedestrians present since she was in a more peaceful area of town. Not many businesses were located there, which was a huge setback for her. This meant there weren't any nearby vendors for her to snag food from._

_The little girl sighed, "Guess I'm going through the trash again…" Disgust swirled in her stomach but the feeling was overwhelmed by her hunger, so she would deal with the horrid odor of rancid food._

_Fortunately, it didn't take her long to find a decently full trash bin behind an apartment building. The lower half of her body hung over the edge of the bin, her legs swinging back and forth as she sorted through the garbage. So far, she didn't have much luck finding anything edible. A moment later, she lurched her head up to breathe, giving her frail lungs a break from the stench—_

_"__Ahhh!" she screamed upon realizing someone was standing right next to her. Her grip on the bin slipped and feel to the ground with a solid thud. "Owww…" he groaned as her bottom throbbed in pain. She glanced up fearfully at the stranger, wondering if she was in danger for a second time that day._

_Judging by the curves accented under her dark, fully body cloak, it was a woman. She was slightly shorter and slimmer than the average grown woman but her form still radiated with overpowering maturity. A few dark locks protruded from her hood and fell past her shoulders._

_"__Stop staring at me like that," the stranger snapped._

_The girl's head dropped, "S-sorry!" She was trembling violently; it wouldn't be a surprise if she soiled herself. There was something foreboding about the female's aura. It made the girl feel as if her limbs would get chopped off if she inhaled wrong._

_She heard the stranger sigh in exasperation._

_"__Here." Something landed in the girl's lap._

_The homeless child stared suspiciously at the paper bag before directing a quizzical look at the woman. "W-what is it?" she asked carefully._

_The stranger huffed and crossed her arms. "It wasn't to my liking, so I figured this would better satisfy a lowlife like you." The little girl's bafflement only increased. However, once she opened the bag, she gaped in pure surprise._

_It was filled to the brim with little chocolate-dipped pastries. They looked fresh and delicious. The little girl was smiling so widely, it was a wonder how her cheeks weren't splitting in two. When she looked up to thank the woman, she was nowhere to be seen._

_"__Hello?" the girl called out. She stepped out into the street, looking around vehemently for her savior but instead, she saw a figure standing in the distance. It was young man standing outside of the apartment building with his hands in his pockets. A pleased smile was gracing his scarred visage. She could see him mutter something before shaking his head in apparent amusement and disappearing back inside._

_The little girl blinked, confused as to what had transpired. However, the weight in her arms reminded her of her blessing from Agni. She quickly retreated back into the alley, intent on eating her fill tonight._

_-XXX-_

_"__What am I thinking? Parading around town in dirty cloths…" she trailed off with an indignant sigh. She scaled through a few more rooftops before leaping in between two buildings and landing on solid ground. She fell back from her crouch and rested against the wall, her hands instantly reaching into her pockets. She retracted a chocolate pastry and slowly nibbled on it._

_"__Taking one from the batch wouldn't concern her."_

_Even when committing an act of generosity, Azula couldn't help but be a little selfish..._

* * *

**Author's Note**: Alrighty guys~! That's all for now! Again, I'm really sorry for the delay. And also, just a warning that somethings may be skipped or rearranged from the series. This is because A) my story is naturally gonna be different from the show's plot and B) my memory is not that great... *sweat drops* Ahem! So, uh, yeah, just keep that in mind, hahah!

Anyways, if you would please...

CLICK THE REVIEW BUTTON. -_-


	9. I always screw up

**Author's Note**:Wow, how long has it been? Months? Almost a year? It's incredibly how absorb one can become when battling the eclectic monstrosities of college. However, I won't make excuses because those are a waste of your time. You came to read a new chapter! So, without further ado, here's the next chapter! Hope you enjoy! =)

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender or any of its characters.

_**Warning**_: Opening scene is a little steamy but it shouldn't warrant an M-rating.

* * *

_Kisses trailed down the side of her neck, the contact lazy yet tender, until they stopped at her pulse point. A shaky breath managed to escape her when the lips sucked, earning an inaudible whimper from the prideful girl. Yet, even when she wanted to scowl as a chuckle rumbled in his chest, she frowned in pleasure and her hands refused to release the back of his shirt. The ragged fabric was balled up within her fists, near the point of tearing. The man over her could care less though. His teeth lightly sunk into her skin before he retracted and stared mischievously into her amber eyes._

_"__What's wrong, my Beautiful Dragonfly~?" he cooed. "Looks like you've got something on your mind. Is something, I don't know, __**distracting**__ you?" This time, he really did receive a scowl. Koda howled with laughter. "Geez! You're too much!"_

_"__Just shut up and get back to work, idiot," Azula grumbled while avoiding eye contact, her head still titled to the side to give him access to her neck. At first, Koda was going to taunt the firebender some more, but then thought against it and went back to start raining kisses across her collarbone. Besides, as much as Koda loved teasing the princess, he didn't love dodging fireballs. He smiled when finely shaped nails dug into his hair, encouraging him to go lower. The peasant slithered up to whisper huskily in Azula's ear._

_"__As you wish, princess…" Her silk shirt was pushed up to her breasts, exposing her stomach to Koda's appreciative eyes. Her abs quivered as a chill shot through her, forcing the girl to shove a hand over her mouth, nibbling on her knuckles to retain a clear head. She could feel a tongue dancing across her skin, leaving a smoldering trail in its path and awakening her nerves into a frenzy._

_When Azula first allowed Koda to touch her, she was appalled to find out how sensitive she was. However, now, it was seen more as a welcomed burden rather than an irksome weakness._

_She could feel a groan trembling in the back of her throat, but she held silent. Their intimacy was still somewhat fresh, so the firebending prodigy was not quite comfortable enough to be vocal around the scarred man. As if he read her mind, Koda directed a warm gaze at his lover while running a hand up and down her side._

_"__It's okay," he said, "I know you'll let me hear you when you're nice and ready. I mean…" A finger toyed with the hem of her pants. "I'm pretty sure you'll be ready soon."_

_"__You talk too much, you know that?" Azula rushed out before returning her hand to her mouth, muffling another moan just in the nick of time. This earned another giggle from Koda, his emerald eyes lighting up with glee._

_"__Obviously!" Azula's eyes rolled. However, they both froze when a click sliced through the atmosphere._

_Their heads whipped towards the door._

_"__Your Highness? P-pardon the intrusion…"_

_"__Shit!" Azula shot up and reached for the window, intending to quickly send Koda out of her room. But then he pinned her back to the bed and loomed over her, an apologetic and panicked look upon his face._

_"__I-I'm sorry," he breathed, "There's not enough time." Before Azula could argue, a malice that she had never seen before settled over the man's countenance. His nostrils flared furiously as he yelled, "You ruined our lives, you heartless witch! Who in the hell's ever needed that much tax money?!"_

_"__What're you do—"_

_"__Y-your Highness!" Hu-Ni shouted from the doorway. The man was ghostly pale and trembling as he gaped at the sight before him. From his perception, it seemed as if a vengeful peasant was attempting to attack Azula. Or worse…rape her. "Guards! Guards!" In an instant, two guards dashed into the room and pulled Koda off of the princess. One had gripped him by the neck, while the other yanked on his hair and arms. The baking apprentice had cringed in pain but it was instantly covered up by this angry act._

_"__Let me go!" he yelled. He pointed menacingly at Azula. "Don't get comfortable, princess! Our business was ran into the ground because of you! I'll get you back for this! I swear on my life—"_

_"__Shut it, you fucking worm!" A guard yelled while ramming a fist into his gut. Koda heaved a cough and doubled over, cradling his abdomen in agony. During the entire altercation, Azula laid speechless on her bed, staring in shock as the men roughly handled her lover. Her body was on fire, screaming, wailing, begging for her to get up and rescue him but her logic was sharp, no matter what circumstance she was in. Defending him would be unwise—catastrophic._

_With her heart sinking lower and lower, she could only watch as the guards dragged Koda away…_

-XXX-

Azula could only roll her eyes as Koda was dragged away, twin waterfalls comically running down his face.

"W-why do I have to do it?!" he wailed while tripping over his feet. Mai ignored his pleas and continued tugging on his shirt through the crowd of curious commoners. They were currently attracting the attention of the entire market square but neither the trio, Koda, nor TomTom cared. Azula had to retain the scowling, neutral role while Ty Lee found the entire situation adorable. Mai, on the other hand, was forced to swallow back her pride in face of sound logic.

TomTom became incredibly fussy for reasons none of them could understand. At first, Koda attempted to calm him with silly antics but even his cocked eyes could do little to soothe the child. Ty Lee didn't have much luck either and Azula was Azula; the chances of the princess inspiring joy within a child was nearly impossible. Thus, they all—with Koda as the exception—agreed on the idea of forcing the man to take TomTom on a walk around town and show him a change of scenery. Of course, Koda wouldn't have a problem with this. However, TomTom's sister was a merciless knife-thrower who had no qualms about skewering him if a single hair on the infant's head was harmed.

"Because he likes you the most," Mai grumbled. Koda couldn't deny that but he still pouted and grumbled underneath his breath. The gloomy teen ignored his disdain and continued, "Just make sure not to stay out too long. Come back when you think TomTom is worn out enough to go to sleep, got it?"

"Yes mam…" Koda muttered. The group shortly came upon a vendor selling candy on a stick, the sweets covered in a layer of fire rocks. Unless one was a Fire Nation civilian, these treats were notoriously spicy and left angry red patches on the tongue. However, TomTom, who was already accustomed to the traditional snack, gurgled in joy while reaching out for them.

"Well now," Mai said while crossing her arms, "I think this'll be a good place to start. We're heading back to the palace to plan our departure." Koda choked on air when she suddenly closed in on him until their noses were almost touching. "Remember…if TomTom gets hurt, you'll sorely regret being born."

"Y-y-you can c-count on me!" Koda stuttered, simultaneously wondering how he hadn't wet his pants in that moment. As Mai and Ty Lee began to dissolve in the crowd, Azula had hung back a few seconds to flash Koda an amused smirk.

"I think Mai likes you," she said sarcastically.

"Don't get jealous," Koda countered with a grin of his own, his fear quickly forgotten. His response earned an eye roll.

"Don't count on it. Besides, she's already got her eyes on someone else."

Koda instantly perked up. "What? She does? Who?" However, the gossiper within him was left unsatisfied, as she only answered with a mysterious smile and left. The ex-prisoner resorted to childishly stomping his foot but his tantrum fell short when TomTom cried in frustration. He was still reaching for the candy. Releasing a long sigh, Koda then slapped his cheeks before plastering on a goofy expression.

"What's that, Koda Junior? You want some candy~?" Koda retrieved money that Azula had lent him and paid the vendor—who of which attempted to con Koda by selling him an old stick but, being the son of a baker, the scarred man easily saw through the crook. He specifically pointed at which candy he wanted, which appeared to be the freshest one. Koda had to restrain a giggle when the vendor openly scowled, begrudgingly handing over the best in the batch. Koda bid the man a nice day before popping the tip into TomTom's mouth.

"Hugahh~!" TomTom slurred while gumming his treat. His amber eyes glittered happily as he stared up at Koda, a smile not quite natural yet seemingly purposeful weeding its way through the slobber. The stocky man smiled back.

"Maybe this won't be so bad. You're a good kid, aren't you?" he said.

-XXX-

"TomTom!"

Koda was wrong.

"TomTom!"

Dear _Agni_, was he wrong!

Koda dashed through the crowd, running at speeds that forced his heart to pound against his ribs and all forms of oxygen to escape his lungs. Some civilians may have been knocked over in the process, his beefy stature equivalent to that of a bulldozer, but he honestly couldn't tell. All that mattered, all that he was focused on, was spotting a thin turf of black hair on an infant head. He slid to a halt and cupped his hands over his mouth.

"TomTom! TomTom where are you?!"

No luck—no familiar gurgling, no little baby crawling up to him with ninja-like efficiency, nothing. Koda raked his hands over his head, ignoring the ache of sensitive skin beneath his bandages. "This can't be happening…" he whispered while spinning about in place.

He couldn't understand how everything took such a dire turn.

The situation had started out normally. He strolled through the park with TomTom in his arms, allowing the child ample time to finish his candy. Once he did, Koda then brought him up to a water fountain, where TomTom swung happily at the cascading streams. Then, to finish off their day, the ex-prisoner took him to a small playground, which was filled with other children and their parents.

Some of the parents gave him skeptical looks—clearly perplexed by such a young man carrying around a child—while single mothers had followed him around like they had junior high crushes. He tried to ignore the attention and hover over TomTom as he played in the sandbox. However, his discomfort vanished when a symphony of groans traveled through the air.

It was a herd of civilians. Their skin was covered in purple dots, they're eyes were glazed over like dead fish, and they skulked around like zombies. At the front of the group, Koda took note of an odd-looking boy with pale skin—paler than that of a normal Fire Nation commoner. He couldn't identify any other traits about him because his hat covered a majority of his face.

Koda, along with everyone else in the playground, gawked at the unusual sight as they passed through. Once the group was out of sight, the scarred man could only shake his head in bewilderment before turning around, searching for TomTom.

Not a moment later, Koda had let out a shriek, scarring anyone within a ten meter radius. "TomTom? TomTom! Where'd he go?! TOMTOM!"

Thus, leading back to his current predicament.

Each muscle in his body was roaring in pain but he pushed on. Buildings and people became zipping blurs and the sea of chatter blended into background noise. All his ears could register was the wild thumping of his heart and a panic-induced ringing.

"Hang on, TomTom," Koda panted, "Hang on!"

Gulping a large sum of air, he prepared his burns for agony as he ran even faster. A grimace pulled at his lips as the wounds throbbed in protest, rough bandages rubbing against them rapidly. The friction was almost too much to bear—almost.

Koda caught a glimpse of purple in his peripherals—those strange bunch of commoners with a zombie gait. They were stalking down a path to the ex-prisoner's left, decently close to the man's location.

He could care less about them. TomTom's retrieval was of upmost importance—

"Daa~!" an infant voice gurgled.

Koda's heels left twin trails in the dirt as he skidded to a stop, sweat pouring down his face as he turned to the sound. His eyes narrowed, trying to pin point TomTom's presence. That's when Koda noticed a small head bobbing along the top of the crowd and two tiny fists waving about excitedly. The small figure was riding on a peasant's shoulders, who appeared disgruntled yet indifferent about the random child. The group stood before a pair of guards standing watch of Ba Sing Se gates, who of which instantly departed at the sight of their dotted skin.

The stone wall peeled apart, presenting the mob with a large exit.

"TomTom…" Koda breathed, his body tilting forward. "_Agni_, TomTom! Stop!" He was full on sprinting again and quickly came within a few feet of the crowd. He stretched an arm out, his throat growing raw as he continuously yelled out to the child.

TomTom, having finally heard Koda's familiar voice, glanced back at him with sparkling, amber eyes. Popping a fist into his mouth, the young one flashed Koda a slobbery smile.

"Da—"

The gates slammed closed, blasting massive clouds of dust into Koda's face.

"No," Koda mumbled as he lowered his arm, "No…no, no, no, I didn't just see that. Th-that didn't just happen!" He turned to one of the guards and pleaded, "Guards! Guards, please, open the gates! I have to be out there!" The guard stared at Koda as if he had grown a second head.

"Are you insane?" he said in horror. "Didn't you see their skin, kid? Those peasants have the plague! Better to have them out there than in here!" The other guard nodded in agreement, his wide eyes evidence that he was still spooked by the event.

Koda's jaw tightened. "Sir, please! There was someone in that crowd that I lost! I have to get him back!"

"Tough luck, kid…" The guard placed a heavy hand on Koda's shoulder, his voice mockingly sympathetic. "But sometimes you gotta make tough decisions. It's for the good of everyone in this ringaaaaaah!" His words morphed into a howl of agony. In an instant, the hand resting on Koda's shoulder was bent back by the wrist; his knuckles nearly scraped the sleeve of his uniform.

The pressure increased.

"There is a baby out there…" Koda's face was angled at the ground but his hold remained firm. The guard fell to one knee as the pain reached unimaginable heights. "And everyone depended on me to keep…him…_safe_." A deep bass infected his last word; it was guttural, savage, terrifying.

"A-ah! L-look, I! I'm sorry, okay—gah! J-just, ah, let me go!" Koda seemed to give a brief pause. It sent a flicker of hope through his captive…

Faint popping could be heard.

"Open the gate, now…" the scarred man whispered.

"F-fuck!" The guard was on both knees now with his eyes screwed shut. His partner, who was frozen in fear the entire time, blinked away his mental fog before raising both fists horizontally, assuming the Earth bending stance.

"Release him now, kid! Y-you don't wanna do anything you'll regret! Don't make m-me use force! I swear I will!" Finally, Koda raised his eyes to lock vision with the other guard.

What the Earth bender saw made his knees wobble.

His eyes, which were usually twin pools of mellow green, were now darkened and unfocused, as if a hurricane was currently wreaking havoc within his head. Koda's posture slowly straightened as his glare grew in intensity and smashed through the walls of the guard's emotional defenses. Snapping under the pressure, the guard shot a right fist and leg forward, conjuring up a boulder the size of his torso, and sent it rocketing at Koda.

_WHAM!_

…

…

Sweat beaded across the guard's forehead. "I-I warned you, kid!"

Koda stood in the same spot, the fabric over his right shoulder torn open and revealing bandages underneath. His head was facing away from the man, as he had prevented stray debris from catching in his eyes.

The ex-prisoner's large chest heaved with a sigh.

"Wow…" He revealed a tiny, apologetic smile. The shame radiating from it was palpable. "That was a close call, huh? Thanks, I needed that." He finally released the guard, who flopped to the ground in a quivering heap while cradling his wrist. It felt as if it was broken but Koda had taken caution not to do so; worst case scenario, he contracted a few fractures. Without giving the pair a chance to snap out of their stupor, Koda turned on his heels and ran off in the direction of Mai's palace.

He had a missing child to report.

And, more than likely, Mai would see to it that he went missing too.

-XXX-

After lifting an Earth peasant's fallen cargo with an arc of wind, Aang accepted the gratitude with an embarrassed scratch of his head. He then ventured over to Katara and Sokka's tent, which was perched up a few yards away. Once within sight of the Water tribe siblings, he flopped to the ground, his legs crossed in a butterfly position, and decided to run a check over the current situation.

"So, everyone has a tent, right?" he asked.

Katara nodded. "Looks like it." A grin stretched across her face as she took in the content expressions settling over the commoners' eclectic faces. "I just can't believe it," she breathed. "It was so easy. I don't think I've ever seen guards run that fast!" Her chuckling weeded a proud smile out of Sokka, the one responsible for coming up with the idea to cover their skin in makeup and feign illness.

The tan teen puffed out his chest before claiming, "No thanks is necessary. It's only natural for a strategic genius like myself to help in a time of need~." Katara rolled her eyes, her respect for her brother dashed away as quickly as it came. However, Sokka failed to notice this and he continued to flaunt his victory. He leaned against the tent, shoulder to wooden beam, and smiled smugly. "Yep, it's hard to be the hero. We always have to be strong, incredibly handsome, and—"

"Da!"

"Yeah, yeah, daring, I was just about to say that, Katara."

"Um…" Katara quirked an eyebrow. "Sokka, I didn't say anything." She suddenly grinned when the culprit crawled up to her, tugging at the hem of her robe. "Well aren't you a cutey~" she cooed while picking up TomTom. The infant was instantly fascinated by the loops of her hair and began swinging them back and forth. Katara ignored Sokka's snort—she still burned him with a glare though—and pinched her lips thoughtfully.

"Whose child is this?" she asked, giving Aang a quizzical look. The avatar simply shrugged, an apology quirking at the corner of his lips. Sokka examined the baby for a second. Nothing about his features seemed similar to the band of peasants—tan skin, a small turf of black hair that was incredibly sleek, and shocking amber eyes.

A lightbulb erupted over Sokka's head.

"Guys, I think we got a stowaway!" He pointed at the clueless infant before shouting, "He's obviously Fire Nation! _Royal_ Fire Nation! Look how smooth and pampered he is! I say we leave him with a caring pack of wolves to raise him as their own—"

"Sokka!" Katara exclaimed in horror, automatically cluthing TomTom closer to her. Aang scratched the back of his uncomfortably, unsure of how to react to Sokka's harsh statement. "We're not going to leave this baby behind! That's cruel and heartless!" Sokka crossed his arms in response and huffed, grumbling incoherently underneath his breath.

"But still…what should we do? Sokka does have a point, this baby is definitely from a Fire Nation family. And…if it's a royal one…" Katara trailed off gravely.

Running a hand over his scalp, Aang pondered deeply for a moment. _'What should we do?'_ he thought. _'We can't just bring him with us, that'd be kidnapping. We could return him but…'_ he cut a glance at TomTom, _'there's no way his family would just take him back peacefully. They'll no doubt try to take us in or, even worse…'_ Aang shuddered as his imagination ran along with that train of thought. No sane parent would allow the kidnapper of their child to walk away unpunished.

Silence reign over the trio for a bit longer before Aang sighed and offered the best option. "A trade," he said. "We can still get back King Bumi if we trade him for TomTom."

"I don't know, Aang…it's almost like we're holding a baby hostage," Katara said warily.

"It's a smart move though," Sokka countered while tossing his boomerang from hand to hand. "There's no way they wouldn't agree to it, even if they are giving up King Bumi. I mean, yeah, Fire Nation people don't have a soul but they still should value family."

A beat.

"Should"

"I-I suppose…" Katara murmured. She completely understood the logic of their plan and could admit that it was brilliant; yet, a small, maternal part of her couldn't overlook how unethical the situation seemed. Making political deals and plans over a baby seemed wrong—somewhat inhuman, actually. However, she gulped back her emotions and nodded, her gaze glued to the ground. "Alright, we'll do the trade."

"Da da baaa~!" TomTom yanked joyfully on Katara's loop.

-XXX-

A blade was posed at Koda's throat.

"You. Fucking. **_Idiot_**," Mai hissed. Her blade pressed into skin, causing a thin droplet of blood to bead down Koda's neck. Despite the puncture, the sex slave remained as calm as possible and allowed the girl to continue her verbal lashing. "How could you lose TomTom? You had one job. **_One_**. And you can't even do that right."

"I'm sorry—"

"Shut up," she interrupted. The blade went slightly deeper. Koda refrained from gulping, afraid that the action would worsen his wound. Gazing into her eyes with as much regret as he could muster, he attempted to plea with the enraged girl.

"Mai, please. I…I didn't mean for this to happen. He was right there in the sand box. Right there. I looked away for one second and the next, he was taken away by this pack of weirdos covered in purple spots." During his explanation, he could feel the blade pushing forward and he leaned back ever so slowly. By this point, he was bent backwards awkwardly and trembles rattled his body.

He could vaguely make out the form of Azula and Ty Lee in his periphery vision. Ty Lee was shifting from foot to foot anxiously but one could sense the tenseness in her muscles, ready to uncoil and spring into action if Mai's temper got the better of her. Azula, on the other hand, stood with an indifferent yet mildly interested arch of her eyebrows, as if she were watching a drama. Koda quickly skimmed her from top to bottom, searching for a crack in her façade.

It was her right index finger. It dug into the side of her pants, curling and uncurling like a nervous tick. She was worried, on edge, like a wolf monitoring another member of her pack.

Mai's glare narrowed as she chewed over Koda's words. The knife halted, nudged his neck, then she pulled away altogether. Releasing a long and agitated sigh, the gloomy royal turned to Azula and Ty Lee.

"We're not leaving until I find TomTom," she said.

Azula rolled her eyes. "Fantastic. Just what I need, a snot-nosed brat goes missing and now we're stuck playing I Spy." Ty Lee winced upon hearing Azula's insensitive remark. The Fire Nation princess didn't even budge when Mai delivered her a withering glare. Her armored chest puffed out and her chin tilted up, challenging Mai to act on her anger. However, the knife-thrower deflated, returning to her melancholic state, and sucked her teeth in annoyance. Before Mai could march off and update her parents about the situation, Azula's words gave her pause. "Mai, your window."

A messenger hawk was perched on the balcony rails. A small, scrolled up piece of paper dangled from its leg. Mai immediately retrieved the message and opened it, not even blinking when the hawk cawed at her threateningly. It was not quite tamed—a rare occurrence among Fire Nation messenger hawks.

"What does it say?" Ty Lee asked as her head popped up over Mai's shoulder, attempting to read the letter.

"A trade…" Mai's voice was significantly grave and somber. Her features, usually smooth and beautifully callous, was now stony with silent rage. Her hooded, dark gaze locked onto Koda. "The people who took TomTom…they'll only give him back if we release King Bumi. They want to meet in two hours."

Koda's jaw tightened. "Those fuckers," he grounded out behind clenched teeth. By no means was Koda upset about losing King Bumi. Although he was not directly involved in the politics of the Fire Nation, he had a hunch that imprisoning the man was immoral, no matter what logic backed the action. Rather, his blood boiled at the mere thought of kidnappers holding TomTom hostage, making demands in exchange for his safe return. Apparently, Mai felt the same because she was now striding with vengeful purpose; even Azula stood aside for her, watching her retreating back with faint interest.

However, just before she vanished from sight, Mai addressed Koda in a low, dangerous whisper, "You stay in here during the trade." Her eyes darkened. "You've done enough."

Her words drove a stake through Koda's chest. His head hung with guilt and his previous anger was extinguished by her chilling tone. He stood next to Azula, refusing to make eye contact with his lover out of shame. There was a feather touch, a ghosting sensation over his naked wrist, and his being lightened just a little bit from her miniscule act of comfort.

Then there was a gentle push on his shoulder and he obeyed, plopping onto the couch in defeat. He could hear the trio's footsteps fading away and he raised his eyes to witness Azula at the door, a lone figure rigid with inner conflict. Her body wished to go back to him, to assure him that these horrible turn of events were not entirely his fault, but her mind held firm, reminded her of the role she had to play. Thus, sucking her lips into her mouth, she left Koda alone with his thoughts.

The ex-prisoner laid his hands upon his lap, palms faced upwards, and examined them. They were worn out, decorated with callouses born from years of labor; these rough hands were supposed to protect TomTom, to make him flash that gummy smile. Why was it, Koda mourned, that he could only envision them snapping the wrist of a cowering man?

He quivered.

"Agni, I always screw up…"

* * *

**Author's Note**: Aww, poor Koda! I really gave him a rough time in this chapter. ='(

I apologize for the grave turn of events but it is all necessary to keep the plot moving. Anyways, I hope I didn't take too long with this or, rather, I hope I didn't anger my followers for the wait. If I did, I apologize deeply.

So, please, leave feedback and...

CLICK THE POST REVIEW BUTTON. -_-


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